Recreate 'Nailed It!' at Home With This Rocket Ship Recipe (EXCLUSIVE)

Anna Quintana - Author
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PUBLISHED Oct. 6 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET

rocket ship cake
Source: Courtesy

If you're a fan of Nailed It!, prepare yourself because the Netflix baking competition now has an official companion cookbook.

Nailed It! Baking Challenges for the Rest of Us is full of recipes from the show that you can attempt to recreate at home.

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While Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres won't be there to give you a golden chef's hat, Distractify has an exclusive recipe from the cookbook to get you started on your baking journey!

So, what are you waiting for?

Rocket Ship Cake — Exclusive recipe:

rocket ship cake
Source: Courtesy

This might be the most fun cake you ever make because you get to set it on fire! Be very careful when you do, though, since sugar is highly flammable. Created by Red Velvet NYC to commemorate the Netflix animated movie Over the Moon, this recipe was part of the second Nailed It! At Home Experience produced by Netflix and Fever.

Just make sure you have a small food-safe paintbrush and rainbow candles before you get baking!

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For the cake you will need:

  • 1¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (200 g) sugar
  • ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
baking supplies
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Buttercream ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in chunks
  • 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whole milk

Decoration ingredients:

  • 8 ounces (225 g) white fondant
  • Cornstarch
  • Red and blue food coloring
  • Rainbow sour belt candy
  • Rainbow Twizzlers or
  • Tootsie Roll Fruit Chews

Make the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33-cm) baking pan. Cut out a rectangle of parchment paper the size of the pan and place it in the bottom.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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cake
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3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk. Add the dry mixture a spoonful at a time and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate the last bits of dry ingredients.

4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until pale golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.

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Make the buttercream:

  1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup (125 g) at a time, mixing until well combined.
  3. Add the vanilla, salt, and milk, and mix on high until thick and creamy. If the buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the buttercream is too thick, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Assemble the cake:

  1. Cut the sheet cake into 4 equal rectangles by slicing an X through the center of the cake. Stack 3 rectangles and set aside; they will form the body of the ship. Cut the last rectangle into 6 smaller pieces: 2 rectangles and 4 triangles. Stack one triangle on top of each small rectangle to form the wings. You’ll have 2 spare triangles for snacking.
  2. Using a spatula, spread a layer of buttercream about to ó inch (7 to 12 mm) thick between the layers of the 3 large rectangles to hold them together. Using a large, serrated knife, trim the cake to form the spaceship, with a rounded body and a pointed nose. Place the wings at the sides. Spread the remaining buttercream over the entire ship, putting extra on the rear.

Frosted Tip: If your fridge or freezer is big enough, place the stacked cake inside for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. A cool cake is much easier to carve!

Now the fun part ... decorate!

  1. Break off a quarter of the fondant for the tail and windows and set aside. Lightly dust a flat surface with cornstarch and roll the remaining fondant into an oval about 12 inches (30.5 cm) wide. Lay the fondant over the top of the ship and smooth it down, leaving the rear of the ship uncovered. Trim any excess from the bottom.
  2. Shape half of the reserved fondant into a triangle for the ship’s tail. Slice a 1-inch (2.5-cm) opening to insert the tail.
  3. Dye the rest of the fondant very pale blue. Roll it out and cut out windows. Use drops of water to “glue” the windows onto the ship.
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cake decorating
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4. Wrap the sour belts over the rear of the ship, trimming to fit. Use a small dab of buttercream to secure them. Cut Twizzlers into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Stuff the back of the ship with Twizzlers, Tootsie Rolls, and candles, making sure the candles are farther out so they don’t light the other candy on fire.

  • 5. Thin red food coloring in a little water and use it as paint to customize your rocket ship. Light the candles with adult supervision.
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    3, 2, 1 . . . Ya done! Did you nail it?

    Recipe reprinted from Nailed It!: Baking Challenges for the Rest of Us by the Creators of Nailed It! with Heather Maclean. Published by Abrams Image.

    rocket ship cake
    Source: Courtesy

    The sixth season of the Magical Elves-produced Nailed It! is streaming on Netflix, and the official companion cookbook Nailed It! Baking Challenges for the Rest of Us is now available for purchase.

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