Little Red Barn Cake Food

BARN CAKE WITH FARM ANIMAL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour 2 1/4 cups batter into square pan; divide remaining batter among muffin cups. Bake yellow cupcakes 15 to 20 minutes and yellow square pan 20 to 26 minutes) OR devil's food cupcakes 18 to 23 minutes and devil's food square pan 21 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze square cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• In small bowl, tint 1 cup of the frosting with red liquid food color to make pink frosting. In medium bowl, tint 1 1/2 cups of the frosting with red gel or paste food color to make desired color of red frosting for barn; set aside. Reserve remaining white frosting. Decorate square cake to make barn (step 3); decorate cupcakes to make 4 chicks, 4 sheep and 4 pigs (steps 4, 5, 6).
• Barn: Trim 1 side of square cake to form roof of barn; place cake near top of tray with roof at top of tray. Spread thin layer of red frosting over entire cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining red frosting. Make vertical lines on top of cake to look like boards (use spatula or toothpick).For window, break 2 pretzel sticks in half; place near top of cake in square shape.For shutters, place 1-inch-square piece of graham cracker on each side of window.For sides and top of doorway, place 3 pretzel sticks near bottom of cake. For doors, place 2 1/2x1-inch graham cracker rectangle on each side of doorway.For roof, arrange eight 2 1/2 x1-inch graham cracker rectangles on top edge of cake, overlapping to form barn roof shape. For hay, place 1/2 cup of the coconut in resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add 2 drops yellow liquid food color; seal bag and shake to mix. Place small amount of yellow coconut at bottom of window and doorway (reserve remaining yellow coconut to decorate chick cupcakes). For grass, place remaining 1 cup coconut in resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add 2 drops green liquid food color; seal bag and shake to mix. Scatter green coconut on bottom half of tray. Decorate cupcakes and arrange on coconut grass.
• Chicks: Frost 4 cupcakes with white frosting. Top with reserved yellow coconut. For eyes, add M&M's™ minis brown chocolate candies. Cut orange gumdrops to look like beaks; place on cupcakes.
• Sheep: Frost 4 cupcakes with white frosting. For muzzle, spread 1/2 teaspoon pink frosting in small circle on each cupcake; add M&M's™ minis red chocolate candy for nose. For eyes, add M&M's™ minis brown chocolate candies. For ears, add white gumdrop halves, cut sides down. Place marshmallow halves on face for wool.
• Pigs: Frost 4 cupcakes with pink frosting. For snout, spread additional 1 teaspoon pink frosting in small circle on each cupcake; add M&M's™ minis red chocolate candy for nostrils. For eyes, add M&M's™ minis brown chocolate candies. For ears, cut 8 small triangles from fruit snack; place on cupcakes. Store loosely covered.

LITTLE RED BARN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease 15x10x1-inch pan and line bottom of pan with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper; lightly flour. Or spray pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pan. Bake 21 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Peel off waxed paper. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Freeze cake about 30 minutes or until very firm.
• Place cake on cutting board. Cut roof line and around silo as shown in diagram. Cut 17x12-inch piece of sturdy cardboard; cover with heavy-duty foil. Carefully transfer cake to foil-covered cardboard.
• Stir red icing color into 1 container of the frosting to make desired red color. Frost barn and silo--except for upper rounded section--with red frosting. Make vertical lines over cake with rubber spatula to look like boards.
• Place 2 crackers side by side on barn for doors. Place 1 cracker at an angle under peak of barn for window; press into frosting. Arrange pretzel sticks around window and door; make X on each door with remaining pretzel sticks.
• Spoon 1/2 cup white frosting into decorating bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe white frosting along edge of roof, and fill in top rounded section of silo.
• Shake coconut and green food color in tightly covered container until coconut is evenly tinted. Arrange coconut along bottom edge of cake for grass. Arrange shoestring potatoes in window and at bottom of cake for hay. Place animal crackers on cake above grass. Store loosely covered.

LEMON TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a 9 by 5 inch, 3-inch deep loaf pan.
• To make the bread, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and juice, salt, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Fold in the creme fraiche, flour, and baking powder. Gently fold in the melted butter, mixing just until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for a further 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt, and stir until smooth. Adjust the sweetness by adding more lemon juice or more sugar as required. Drizzle the frosting over the warm bread and allow to set before serving.