Speak good fortune into the new year with this surprise ‘2020’ message cake!
Cook Time
2 hr 25 min
Total Time
9 hr 25 min
Yield
10 servings
Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
1 ¾ cups water (420 mL), divided
⅔ cup oil (160 mL), divided
8 large egg whites, divided
½ cup all purpose flour (65 g)
2 boxes white cake mix, divided
¼ teaspoon purple gel food coloring
½ cup rainbow sprinkles (85 g)
1 jar vanilla frosting
gold flake, for decorating
assorted sprinkle, for decorating
Special Equipment
1 cookie cutter, wide number 2
1 cookie cutter, winder number 0
sparkler candle, optional
Nutrition Info
Calories 829
Fat 43g
Carbs 105g
Fiber 0g
Sugar 66g
Protein 9g
How to Make It
1. Step
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 x 4-inch (22 x 10 cm) loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Step
In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup water, ⅓ cup (80 ml) oil, 3 egg whites, the flour, and 1 box of cake mix until smooth. Whisk in the purple gel food coloring until the color is evenly distributed.
3. Step
Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake according to the package instructions, 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Step
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and grease with nonstick spray.
5. Step
Once completely cooled, trim ⅛ inch off both ends of the cake to expose the purple interior. Use the depth of the cookie cutter to measure the width and cut the cake into equal slices. It is important that the slices are even in width so the number cut-outs will all be the same size.
6. Step
One at a time, transfer the cake slices to a cutting board. Working carefully, use the cookie cutters to cut “2020” out of each slice. Use a cotton swab to gently release each punched-out number from the cookie cutters. Transfer the numbers to the prepared wire rack.
7. Step
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 egg whites. Brush the numbers on all sides with the egg whites. Transfer to the freezer and freeze uncovered for 6 hours, up to overnight.
8. Step
In a medium bowl, beat the remaining 3 egg whites with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, just before soft peaks form. Set aside.
9. Step
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 x 4-inch (22 x 10 cm) loaf pan with nonstick spray.
10. Step
In a large bowl, combine the remaining cup of water and ⅓ cup (80 ml) oil. Add the remaining box of cake mix and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the rainbow sprinkles. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
11. Step
Pour 1 cup of batter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Remove the punched-out numbers from the freezer. Arrange the numbers crosswise in rows by standing upright in the batter so each row reads “2020”, leaving about ¼ inch (6 mm) of space at the ends of the pan.
12. Step
Gently pour the remaining batter over the numbers, but do not overfill the pan. You may have about ⅓ cup of batter left over.
13. Step
Bake the cake for 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
14. Step
Use an offset spatula to spread the vanilla frosting over the cake. Decorate with gold flakes and sprinkles as desired.
