A Mouse of a Cake

This year my youngest turned 3.  He really wanted a soccer ball cake until we made a trip to "Wal-martian" for some groceries.  Once he saw the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "stuff" he was sold and I was now making a Mickey Mouse cake.  I didn't decorate his cake too fancy only using sprinkles we found in the party isle, but I did make it a fancy flavor cake!  The Head was peaches and cream and the ears were chocolate vanilla. The whole cake was covered with Cream Cheese frosting.  YUM-o!

I used my 8" Wilton cake pans for the large head part and the smaller 4" Wilton cake pans for the ears and just trimmed them down a touch.

First the chocolate vanilla cake.  I used a box of cake mix and made it according to directions except one thing.  I substituted real mayonnaise for the oil.  It is AMAZING how moist your cake will turn out if you do this...and you don't taste the mayo at all...just the incredibly moist chocolate cake!  Then, for the vanilla, I used a box pudding.  French vanilla, not sugar-free, and made it according to the pie filling directions for extra thickness. 

For the peaches and cream cake I used this recipe from my favorite baking book:

Perfect Party Cake
From Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”
Makes 12 to 14 servings
For the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk (I used whole milk)
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I omitted)
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (I substituted with one vanilla bean)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or  whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

Peachy Fruit Filling
Yield 5 cups 

• 2-16oz. packages frozen, sliced peaches, Thawed (or your fruit of choice...I've also used raspberries with fantastic results!!!)
• 2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 c. cold water
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Cook 1st 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often about 30 min.  Let cool slightly. 
 Sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 c. water in small saucepan; let stand 1 min. Cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves, about 2 min.
Process peach mixture in blender or food processor until smooth.  Stopping to scrape sides down.  Stir in gelatin mix & vanilla.   Cover & chill 8 hours.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8 ounce) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 7 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (I actually subbed another vanilla bean here)

Beat all ingredients together, adding 1c. of powdered sugar at a time, until well blended and light and fluffy.