Surprise cake

Ingredients:

Glaze

• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• A pinch of fine salt
• Whites of 6 large eggs
• 450 g unsalted butter, cut into 4 cm pieces, at room temperature
• 5 cups sweet coconut flakes

Filling and decoration

• Blue, orange, yellow, purple, and pink food coloring
• 2 cups of your favorite small candies (unwrapped), gummy bears, or chocolate-covered jelly beans

Cake

• 165g unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing pans
• 2.5 cups premium flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs + 1 large yolk at room temperature
• 1.5 cups of sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease two 22cm round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
2. Cake:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract, eggs, and egg yolk. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar over medium speed with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add about a third of the flour mixture and beat over medium heat until fully incorporated. Then add a third of the egg-milk mixture and continue beating at medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg-milk mixture, finishing with the flour.
3. Spread the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
4. Glaze:
   
   Pour a few centimeters of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
   
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, lemon juice, salt, and egg whites and whisk with a hand whisk. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue beating with a stand mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add the butter a couple of pieces at a time until each addition is completely incorporated. Once all the butter has been added, continue beating on medium speed. The mixture will appear curdled. Continue beating until the icing is smooth and pliable. If the icing is very soft or starting to crack, refrigerate until it sets but is still pliable. Beat again before using.

6. Filling and decoration

   
   Color the coconut flakes:
   
   Prepare five ziplock bags or plastic containers. Place 1.5 cups of coconut flakes in one container, adding 6-8 drops of blue food coloring. Place 1 cup of coconut flakes in the second container, adding 5-6 drops of orange food coloring, 1 cup of coconut flakes in the third container with 5-6 drops of yellow food coloring, and 1 cup of coconut flakes in the fourth container with 6-8 drops of purple food coloring. Place the remaining 0.5 cups of coconut flakes in the fifth container, adding 4-5 drops of pink food coloring.
   
   Seal each container and shake vigorously until all the chips are evenly colored. Add more food coloring, 1 drop at a time, as needed for brighter colors.
7. Assemble the cake:
   
   Cut a 10cm diameter circle from the center of each cake (set the cut out pieces aside).
8. Place one of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and spread with about 1 cup of frosting.
9. Place another cake ring on top and press lightly. Fill the hole with candies.
10. Cut one of the set aside cut-out cake layers in half horizontally to create two thin circles. Use one of the circles to cover the hole in the cake.
11. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
12. Cut a strip of parchment paper about 75 cm long and 9 cm wide. Wrap the parchment around the cake like a collar, leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in) of frosting exposed at the bottom. Sprinkle the exposed frosting with a small amount of blue shavings to create the first colored stripe.
13. Raise the collar another 2.5 cm and do the same with the orange shavings.
14. Remove the collar and cover the remaining strip of frosting with yellow chips. Decorate the top of the cake with 2.5 cm wide rings, starting from the outside and working inward, sprinkle with purple, pink, blue, and orange chips.
15. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.