Introduction: Minecraft Layer Cake

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So how hard could it be to make a cake in the shape of a cube? It only becomes difficult when the cube is not just a cube anymore.

My intention was to bake several cakes of varying types (to symbolise various types of blocks etc.) that would come out uniform in consistency and dimensions, cut them into cubes and reconstruct them into something resembling a Minecraft environment. Slap on some icing - done!

What I ended up with was an awesome layer cake that still have the mining effect but a lot less fiddling around.

If this is too fiddly, why not try my Minecraft Cake Cake.


Equipment

Square cake tin (mine is 7"x 7" and perfectly square)

2 x bowls

Presentation board


Ingredients

2 x basic butter cakes
(choose whatever cake takes your fancy, but make sure that they are reasonably dense so they will hold their shape and not collapse when being maneuvered into place. As I avoid all preservatives, artificial colours and flavours, etc. I've made my cakes from scratch but you can use packet cake if that works for you)

Choice of icing
(butter cream, ganache or fudge cream would be best, even better as a combo)

Approx. 1 cup Shredded Coconut tinted green
(add coconut to a small bag, pop in a few drops of green food colouring (non artificial if possible - visit Hopper for ideas), seal, shake and rub)

Extra additions to replicate stone, ore, etc. such as:
- Choc Chips
- Sultanas/Raisins
- Grated Carrot
- Chopped Craisins (dried cranberries)
- Chopped Nuts
- Grated Zucchini
- Cocoa
- Fresh or frozen berries

This block summary should help to inspire you.

Decorations thanks to CubeCraft (or use the ones found on Instructables)

Candles as torches


Baking

Prepare 1st cake mix. Divide this mixture into two bowls evenly. Flavour and/or colour each batch differently to replicate a type of brick found in Minecraft. For example, I added cocoa and choc chips to a layer to suggest coal, and chopped craisins to suggest red stone.

Line your tin and bake mix from each bowl separately. Although this may seem like a pain to do them one at a time, using the same tin over will guarantee you a uniform shape and the cooking time is shortened due to only making half the mixture at a time.

Repeat all of the above with the second cake mix but try different add ins - plain vanilla for sand, nuts for dirt, carrots for gold ore.

Cook and fully cool all layers.


Construction

As the birthday boy asked specifically for no fondant or butter cream icing I had to come up with another option. I used a ganache (180g dark choc, 1/2 cup thickened cream. Melt slowly in a pan until all melted. Cool.) as my mortar and a choc fudge cream (200g dark choc, 1/2 cup thickened cream, 70g butter melted in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of boiling water. Melt and combine, cool completely. Once cooled, whip! ) as the outer coating.

Place your first layer down on your presentation board, apply 1/4 of the ganache to the top, then place on the next layer. Repeat this for the remaining layers but do not place the last portion of ganache on the top. Use the remaining ganache to spak fill the edges where the layers don't meet nicely. Tidying up the edges at this stage will give you a better result in the end. Once you have filled in any holes on each of the sides you're ready to put on the final icing.

Use your choc fudge (or butter cream if you choose) to cover the whole cake, starting with the sides first. A palate knife helps enormously with this task. Finish with the top but don't be too concerned if it's not a mirror finish - it is a block of dirt after all.


Topping

Carefully sprinkle your green tinted coconut to the top trying not to touch the sides. Pop on Steve, Creeper and candles as torches.


Eating

Make sure that there is a bit of theatre to the cutting as you want the insides to be a surprise. I found my cake to be quite dense which added to the "Minecrafty-ness" of the cake... having to dig to get to the good stuff... get it? And also because of the denseness and height of the cake I could cut quite small pieces and everyone still had a sufficient serve (I was able to get 25 pieces from this 7" x 7" cake). It's like 4 cakes in one!


Get inspired to come up with your own layers, experiment with different types of icing (marshmallow as ice perhaps?) and post photos of your finished work as I'd love to see your interpretation.