Winter Cake Food

WINTER HAT CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions and bake it in a doll dress cake pan. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• While the cake is still in the pan, trim off the top, using the edge of the pan as a guide. This will give you a flat top. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, transfer the frosting to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed, adding a couple of drops of food coloring at a time to achieve the desired shade of blue.
• Cut the cake horizontally into 4 layers using a long serrated knife. Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the center of the 2 largest layers on the bottom. Reserve the cutouts.
• Place the bottom layer on a cake board or cake plate and frost the top with the frosting. Place the second cake layer on top, so that the sides and center holes line up. Fill the well in the cake with the candy-coated chocolates. Frost the top of the second layer, and place the third layer on top. Repeat with the frosting and top cake layer. Using a limited amount of frosting, frost a thin crumb coat over the cake. Refrigerate to firm up, about 30 minutes. Frost the cake with more frosting.
• Fit a pastry bag with a coupler (or you can use multiple piping bags). Fit the bag with a large star tip and fill the bag with frosting. (See Cook's Note.)
• Use a butter knife to lightly score 5 evenly-spaced vertical lines down the side of the cake. Using the pastry bag with the large star tip and following one of the scored lines from top to bottom, pipe overlapping diagonal 2-inch mounds of frosting, lifting and pulling down in alternating directions to make a braid. Repeat the pattern down the remaining scored lines.
• Switch to a smaller star tip on the pastry bag. Working from the top of the cake down, pipe overlapping semi-circles between each of the braided lines. Repeat around the rest of the cake.
• Switch to a small plain round tip on the pastry bag. Pipe straight lines down both sides of each semi-circle line. Next to these, pipe lines of dots, starting from the top to the bottom. Next to these, pipe straight lines. Repeat around the cake.
• To make the pom-pom on top of the cake, mix the reserved cake cutouts with 1/4 cup frosting in a medium bowl until mostly smooth. Form a cake ball the size of a baseball and refrigerate it on a plate until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Place the coconut in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag and add 2 drops of blue food coloring. Shake the bag to color the coconut. Remove half the coconut to a shallow bowl. Add 6 more drops of the food coloring to the remaining coconut in the bag. Shake the bag to color the coconut and transfer it to a second shallow bowl.
• Roll the cake ball in the dark blue coconut followed by the light blue coconut until fully coated. Place the cake ball on top of the cake. Press the remaining coconut around the bottom of the cake to form the trim.

WINTER-WHITE FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; blend in dry pudding mix and extract.
• Reserve 2 each red and green cherries for garnish. Remove stems, if necessary, from remaining cherries; rinse, then pat dry. Cut cherries into quarters. Stir into cake batter along with the nut mix. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 33 to 36 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
• Beat cream cheese and milk in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with reserved cherries.

WINTER CAKE

Steps:

• Decorating Ideas: Trees made from Bugle (horn shaped corn snacks) and pretzel trunks Marshmallow snowmen sporting gumdrop hats and noses and fruit by the foot chewy fruit snack roll scarves Teddy Grahams with chewing gum skates, gummy ring inner tubes or gum stick toboggans Ice Teddy Grahams with Mittens, Scarves, and Earmuffs.
• Bake cake as directed on package in 2, 9 inch round pans, using water, oil, and eggs.
• Cool 15 minutes.
• Remove from pans; cool 20 minutes or until completely cooled.
• Freeze one layer for at least 20 minutes.
• In medium bowl, combine frosting and marshmallow creme, beating until smooth.
• Place room temperature cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate.
• Frost top of cake.
• Place frozen cake later, rounded side up, on cutting board.
• To make pound in cake layer, use small sharp knife to cut out an irregular 6x4 oval shaped hole, no closer than 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the cake.
• Remove oval piece from cake.
• Place frozen cake layer, rounded side up, on top of frosted cake layer.
• Frost side and top of cake.
• Thickly frost inside of the pond being sure to seal completely.
• Cut oval piece in half lengthwise.
• Place 1 half on top of cake close to the pond for sliding hill.
• Secure by inserting pretzels into the hill.
• Frost hill.
• Use other half to feed anxiously watching child Prepare jello as directed for speed set using the hot water and ice cubes.
• Carefully spoon slightly thickened gelatin into the pond to within 1/4 inch of the top of cake.
• Decorate as you desire, using ideas mentioned.

WINTER-SPICED MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH RUM-GINGER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For ice cream:
• Place softened ice cream in medium bowl. Using plastic spatula, fold ginger and rum into ice cream. Transfer to airtight container. Freeze ice cream mixture until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For cakes:
• Generously butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Stir chocolate, butter, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place plate gently atop 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar. Top with crystallized ginger. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.

MARY'S WINTER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Mix fruit cocktail, flour, sugar, eggs, salt and baking soda. Pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.
• While the cake is cooking make the icing. Boil for 2 minutes the sugar, margarine and milk. Remove from heat and add the coconut and vanilla.
• Frost the cake while it is hot.

WARM WINTER LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package; pour into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Beat dry pudding mixes, granulated sugar, milk and water with whisk 2 min.; pour over batter in dish. Place baking dish on rimmed baking sheet. (Baking sheet will catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.)
• Bake 55 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 min. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.