Father’s Day Golf Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease three 5-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Crack in the egg, spoon in the sour cream, and pour in the oil and the vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix until smooth.

Divide batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Transfer pans to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven. Let cakes cool completely.

To prepare buttercream, beat butter for a few minutes in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. When butter is fluffy, add powdered sugar and turn the mixer on low. Beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add salt, vanilla and heavy cream and beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes, or until buttercream becomes light and fluffy. Add drops of food coloring and continue mixing until the color is evenly distributed.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with 1/4 cup of the buttercream. Place another cake layer on top, and gently press down a little bit. Spread with another 1/4 cup of the buttercream. Place the last layer of cake on top, smear the remaining buttercream on the top and sides of the cake.

Use a big round piping tip to press a circle through the frosting on the top cake layer, twist slightly, and slowly pull the layer of frosting up and off. Slightly press the inside of the circle to flatten the crumbs. Fill a piping bag with a grass tip or hair tip, and start piping the frosting on the top cake layer and side of the bottom of the cake, to make the cake look grassy. Just squeeze the bag, pull up and away when frosting strand is long enough, stop pressure and pull tip away. Place a gum ball or a cake pop on the grass frosting—that’s the golf ball. Put a dowel or stick into the spot where you removed the frosting and tape a flag on the top, with your message to your dad. See photo or related blog link for a visual.

Cover and refrigerate the cake. Then pull it out and leave at room temperature for at least an hour prior to serving.