Giant Snowcake
About this build
A giant biscuit base, strawberry jam and a homemade marshmallow dome are coated with white chocolate and coconut to recreate a Snowcake.
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Selected passages from the original account. Quantities may describe shopping, tests or the final build; follow the linked passage for its full context.
Ingredients: 1lb caster sugar 8oz butter 1lb self raising flour ¼ pint milk 1 tsp vanilla essence 4lb granulated sugar 3 pints water 4 tbsp liquid glucose 16 fl oz water 4 oz gelatine 8 egg whites 4 tsp vanilla essence Corn flour to coat Icing sugar to coat 10oz of fruit jam 17oz white chocolate 3oz coconut
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Step 1. The biscuit First, we creamed the caster sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, folded in the flour and added the milk and vanilla essence until the mixture had formed a dough. This was placed onto a lined baking sheet and formed into round biscuit like shape. BEWARE, the biscuit will flatten and spread so it needs to be made smaller than the mould intended for use for the marshmallow.
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Giant Snowcake: the archived recipe
Condensed from the original account by Hannah Cayton and Ben Hansford, published 2006-09-08. The quantities and method are the contributor’s; this is not a new kitchen test.
Ingredients recorded
- 1 lb caster sugar
- 8 oz butter
- 1 lb self-raising flour
- ¼ pint milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence (for the biscuit)
- 4 lb granulated sugar
- 3 pints water
- 4 tbsp liquid glucose
- 16 fl oz water (for the gelatine)
- 4 oz gelatine
- 8 egg whites
- 4 tsp vanilla essence (for the marshmallow)
- Corn flour and icing sugar, to coat
- 10 oz fruit jam
- 17 oz white chocolate
- 3 oz coconut
Every ingredient is measured in the account, in imperial units, and the water appears twice: 3 pints for the syrup and 16 fl oz for the gelatine. The estimated cost was £15.00. The biscuit came out cement-like, in the contributors’ words, and the account gives no total time beyond the hour for the syrup.
Method recorded
- For the biscuit, cream the caster sugar and butter until light and fluffy, fold in the flour, then add the milk and vanilla until the mixture forms a dough. Shape it into a round on a lined baking sheet, smaller than the bowl you will use for the marshmallow, because it flattens and spreads.
- Bake in a hot oven at 180c for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- For the marshmallow, put the granulated sugar, the 3 pints of water and the liquid glucose in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring slowly to the boil until the liquid turns clear and take it up to 130 degrees C; the contributors say this takes around an hour and recommend a thermometer.
- Meanwhile whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- When the sugar is nearly at temperature, heat the gelatine and the 16 fl oz of water gently until clear, then stir it into the sugar mixture, which bubbles violently.
- Whisk the sugar mixture slowly and evenly into the egg whites, add the vanilla, and turn the mixture into a bowl thickly lined with a mix of corn flour and icing sugar. Leave to set.
- Melt some of the white chocolate in a bain-marie, spread it on the bottom of the biscuit, sprinkle with coconut and leave to set.
- Spread the jam in a circle on top of the biscuit, keeping an inch or two inside the edges; the original uses apple and raspberry jam, the contributors used strawberry.
- Turn the set marshmallow out onto a surface scattered with corn flour and icing sugar (the contributors needed a skewer down the side of the bowl to break the suction), scoop a shallow hollow from its base so the jam can sit inside, and place it on the biscuit and jam.
- Melt the rest of the white chocolate, pour it over the assembled Snowcake, spread it, and sprinkle the remaining coconut over the top.
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The original account
Definition: like a snowball, but with white chocolate flavoured coating. Oh, and much, much, much bigger.
After several weeks of trying to think of a suitable pimp, we decided to let the pimp deciding come to us. A trip down the local co-op saw our inspiration in all its shining glory – Snowcakes in a bargain bin for 99p!
So…on with the pimping.
Ingredients:
1lb caster sugar
8oz butter
1lb self raising flour
¼ pint milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4lb granulated sugar
3 pints water
4 tbsp liquid glucose
16 fl oz water
4 oz gelatine
8 egg whites
4 tsp vanilla essence
Corn flour to coat
Icing sugar to coat
10oz of fruit jam
17oz white chocolate
3oz coconut
Estimated Cost: £15.00
Step 1.
The biscuit
First, we creamed the caster sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, folded in the flour and added the milk and vanilla essence until the mixture had formed a dough. This was placed onto a lined baking sheet and formed into round biscuit like shape. BEWARE, the biscuit will flatten and spread so it needs to be made smaller than the mould intended for use for the marshmallow.
This needs to go into a hot oven at 180c and cooked for 45 mins or until golden brown.
Step 2.
The marshmallow
Place with sugar, water and liquid glucose into a heavy bottomed pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring slowly to the boil, making sure the liquid turns clear. The mixture needs to be brought up to 130 degrees C. This takes around an hour and a thermometer is suggested. We don’t suggest you drop the electric thermometer into the boiling sugar as it will break. However, quickly taking said thermometer out of boiling sugar, wiping, taking apart, wiping inside, putting back together and placing back in sugar just in time for the correct temperature to be reached is possible. We also suggest you take this sugar boiling time to eat your lunch and prepare yourself for the long day and night of Snowcake making ahead ahead.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
When the sugar is nearly at the correct temperature, heat the gelatine and water together gently until clear. Stir this into the sugar mixture being careful as it bubbles violently in dispute.
Whisk all this slowly and evenly into the egg whites. You may wish to purchase an electric mixer for this stage, unless you want to push your whisking arms to the limit as we did and do it by hand.
Add the vanilla essence to give a more marshmallow-y taste and turn mixture into a bowl thickly lined with a mixture of corn flour and icing sugar. Leave to set.
Step 3.
The chocolate
Melt some of the chocolate in a Bain Marie and spread to onto bottom of biscuit, sprinkle coconut over chocolate. Leave to set.
Step 4.
The jam
After looking at the ingredients on the bottom of the Snowcake packet we discovered that apple and raspberry jam was used. However, it was too late and we had already used strawberry jam. This needs to be spread – preferably sans lumpy fruit pieces – in a circle onto the biscuit keeping an inch or two inside the edges.
Step 5.
The marshmallow…again
Once the marshmallow has set, attempt to remove from bowl by first bashing the bowl, then placing in hot water and then bashing metal bowl again until a massive dent is formed on the bottom. Marshmallow will not budge throughout this process. Revert to science theories of suction and stick skewer down the side of bowl and the marshmallow until it flops spectacularly out onto corn flour and icing sugar scattered surface. Whoop with joy and then put back into bowl with extra flour and sugar mixture inside.
Next, consider how much the jam will splodge everywhere when the marshmallow is placed on top. Avoid this by scooping out a shallow circle of marshmallow from the bottom where the jam will sit inside. BEWARE, marshmallow is incredibly sticky and will stick to everything in sight.
Turn marshmallow out onto hands and place on to biscuit and jam.
Step 6.
The chocolate
Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bain marie until smooth. Pour on top on half formed Snowcake and spread in a clever back and forth motion. Sprinkle rest of coconut over the Snowcake and Viola!!
Final Step
Cross section
Arm yourself with several knives of various sizes and blade types. Hack at Snowcake until through. Present with cross section of mini Snowcake. Attempt to eat and pawn off the rest on any unsuspecting person you vaguely know who would like all their fillings extracted by a cement like biscuit.
