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Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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Here's a colorful confection folks will fall for! To top off the scrumptious maple-flavored cake from Lorraine Tishmack of Casselton, North Dakota, our kitchen staff created a chocolate tree with pretty dried-fruit leaves. Ingredients:
4 eggs |
2 cups sugar |
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream |
2 teaspoons maple flavoring |
2-1/2 cups king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour |
2 teaspoons baking soda |
dash salt |
1/2 cup chopped pecans |
frosting: |
1/4 cup butter, softened |
3 cups confectioners' sugar |
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup |
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips |
1/4 cup peanut butter chips |
2 tablespoons dried cranberries |
2 tablespoons golden raisins |
2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots |
2 tablespoons chopped dried apples |
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Add sour cream and maple flavoring. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to sour cream mixture and mix well. Fold in pecans.
2. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For frosting, in a bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Add syrup; mix well. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter chips; stir until smooth. Transfer to a pastry or a heavy-duty resealable
5. plastic bag; cut a small hole in the corner of bag. Pipe a tree and branches on top of the cake. Combine dried fruit; sprinkle around tree base and at ends of branches to resemble leaves. Yield: 12 servings.
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