Snack Cakes – Snoballs

We brought childhood classics back with our limited edition snack cake pans sold exclusively through Sur la Table in 2013. The pans are no longer available but the recipe and memories can be recreated anytime.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plus 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cup cake flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup brewed coffee
• ½ cup milk

Marshmallow Coating:

• 1 lb. sweetened, shredded coconut
• Pink gel food coloring (if desired)
• 1 ½ packets of unflavored powder gelatin (about 9 grams)
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• ⅓ cup corn syrup
• 2 tbsp. water
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• Crème filling
• ½ tsp warm water
• Dash of salt
• Half of a 7 oz. jar of marshmallow fluff
• ¼ cup shortening
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
2. Butter and flour the walls of the snowball pan.
3. Sift the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the coffee and milk. Stir half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
6. Stir in the coffee/milk mixture.
7. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir to blend.
8. Pour batter into prepared snack cake pans, hemisphere pans or silicone baking molds until ⅔ full.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean, about 18 minutes. Let cakes cool completely before turning the pan over to remove them.

Directions for crème filling:

1. Combine salt and water in a small bowl. With a mixer, combine fluff, shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Add the salt mixture, and beat until combined.
2. Using a large plain decorator’s tip, pipe the filling into the center of each cake, from the bottom.

Marshmallow coating:

1. Pour coconut into a bowl. Mix well with a teeny bit of food coloring to tint the coconut. Set aside.
2. Place the ¼ c of cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water, and let set.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tbsp. water. Bring to a rolling boil.
4. Fit the whisk attachment to the stand mixer, and turn it to low to break up the gelatin. Pour the corn syrup mixture into the stand mixer with the gelatin and beat on high for 4 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the salt and vanilla.
5. Continue beating on high for another 6-8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
6. Using a fork or spoon, dip the rounded side of the cakes into the marshmallow. Quickly roll the marshmallow-coated cake in the coconut, making sure to cover the entire marshmallow surface.
7. Place uncoated side down on a sheet pan to set.