SHARK WEEK: Baby Seal Cake

The most awesome week on television is in full swing, and my friends Libbey, Suzanne and I could think of no better way to celebrate than with shark-themed snacks. In order to desensitize ourselves to the onscreen carnage and harden our emotions against the sharks’ tragically adorable prey, we decided to make a baby seal cake and devour it in cold-blooded solidarity with our great white brothers.

Don't look at me like that. You're nothing but breakfast.

Jelly Roll Cake
from this recipe

4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 375. Spray or grease a 10×15″ jelly roll pan, line with waxed paper, and then spray/grease the paper. Beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow, add the 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla, beating until combined.

In a separate, larger bowl, beat egg whites until they form glossy peaks–not quite until stiff. Fold in the yolks and gradually sift in the remaining dry ingredients, folding delicately. Pour into pan, spreading evenly, and bake for 12 minutes.

Invert cake onto a dishtowel dusted with powdered sugar. Remove the waxed paper and trim the crust if desired. Place a fresh piece of waxed paper over the top of the cake and roll the cake inside the towel, leaving until cool. When ready, unroll the cake, remove the paper, and spread the top of the cake with your desired filling–jelly, frosting, cream cheese, etc.

Whipped cream and sliced strawberries provide both delicious strawberry shortcake flavor and tastefully graphic seal innards.

To sealify our cake, we used vanilla frosting (the same buttercream recipe as for the cupcakes, minus the chocolate and plus a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract) and gave it M&M facial features, toothpick whiskers, and whipped cream flippers and tail.