Directions

Cherry Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray silicone dome molds that are 2.5” in diameter with nonstick cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and oil. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add alternatively to the creamed mixture with buttermilk, stirring by hand. In a separate mixer bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the batter. Add 5 drops of red food coloring and stir to combine. Spoon batter into the dome molds, about ⅔ full. Bake for 10 to 12  minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Sour Cherry Filling

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and lemon juice and mix into a slurry. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the cherries, sugar and cherry juice concentrate and cook until the cherries are soft and the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking until the mixture thickens and the cornstarch is cooked. Remove from heat and scoop into a small bowl. Refrigerate to chill.

Cherry Swiss Buttercream

1. Add egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk together.

2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl. Whisk the egg whites occasionally while it warms up.

3. When the mixture has warmed, whisk it constantly until it reaches 160ºF or until it's not grainy between your fingers.

4. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer, and whip with a whisk attachment until glossy peaks at room temperature.

5. Switch to a paddle attachment, turn on mixer to low speed.

6. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing to fully incorporate before adding the next.

7. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the cherry juice concentrate.

8. Store, covered, in a medium bowl until ready to use.

To Assemble the Dropped Snow Cones:

1. Ready-to-Use Isomalt in  Red, Blue and White (enough to make 12 small puddles)

2. Nitrile gloves

3. Red, blue and white coarse sugar

4. 6 small wooden dowels

5. 6 (4 oz.) small white paper cone cups (like the ones used at water coolers)

6. Faux surface that looks like concrete or slate for serving

7. With a small serrated knife, trim the bottoms of the cake domes so they are flat. Carve out a small divot in each one, fill with Sour Cherry Filling, spread each side with a thin layer of Cherry Buttercream and press the flat bottoms together to make a round cake ball. Cover outside completely with Cherry Buttercream. Repeat with remaining cakes. Pour ⅓ cup of coarse sugar (in red, blue and white colors) onto separate plates. Using your hands, generously sprinkle the white sugar in a band around the middle. Press one side (leaving some white sugar in the middle) with blue coarse sugar. Press the red coarse sugar onto the other side (again leaving some white sugar in the middle). Set aside on a piece of parchment paper and repeat with the remaining cake balls. Make the “melted snow cone puddles” by melting and pouring isomalt into connecting stripes on a silicon mat. (Use nitrile gloves to protect your hands from the hot isomalt.) Spray a large, metal ice cream scoop with non-stick spray and press into the puddles, creating a small round crater in the candy puddle and pulling out the edges to look like melted liquid. Allow to cool completely. To serve, place each snow cone ball onto the cooled candy puddle. Insert a small wooden dowel into the top of the cupcake, offset to the back of center. Place a small paper cone over the wooden down, so that the rim of the cone rests lightly on the cake ball. Set on a faux concrete or slate surface.