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Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 70 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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GIVE this scenic dessert a whirl, and it won't be long before folks start drifting over for a piece! The mild spice cake from Ruth took on a playful shape as soon as Crafting Traditions' cooks got hold of the recipe. They formed the top and base of a snow globe using ordinary round and loaf baking pansones you likely have in your own kitchen. So go ahead and flavor a celebration in the same way...then get ready for a blizzard of grins from guests! Ingredients:
2/3 cup shortening |
1-1/4 cups sugar |
3 eggs |
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk |
1/4 cup molasses |
2-1/2 cups cake flour |
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder |
1 teaspoon salt |
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1/2 teaspoon baking soda |
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice |
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg |
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves |
frosting: |
3/4 cup butter, softened |
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened |
3 cups confectioners' sugar |
1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
brown, green, red and blue paste or gel food coloring |
cookie cutters-3 inch horse and 3-1/2-inch sleigh, optional |
edible glitter |
Directions:
1. In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and molasses; mix well. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour 1-3/4 cups into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan; pour remaining batter into a greased 9-in. round baking pan.
2. Bake at 375°for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For frosting, in a bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add confectioners' sugar; beat for 5 minutes or until very smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Place 1 cup in another bowl; tint with brown food coloring. Place 1/4 cup each in three bowls; tint one green, one red and one blue. Leave the remaining frosting white.
4. Place loaf cake on a work surface with a long side facing you. To make globe base, measure 2 in. in from top right corner; cut at an angle from that point to the lower right corner. Repeat on other side. (Save cut out cake wedges for another use.) Place base on a 14-in. x 10-in. covered board; frost top and sides brown.
5. Place round cake above base; frost top and sides white. Gently press cookie cutters into cake to outline horse and sleigh, or outline them free hand. Frost horse brown. Place red frosting in a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in the corner. Pipe outline of sleigh and three horizontal strips on the sleigh. Pipe a rein from horse to sleigh.
6. Make pine trees with green frosting. Using a toothpick and white frosting, add white streaks in the trees for snow.
7. Frost the bottom third of round cake blue. Transfer remaining blue frosting to a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in the corner. Pipe snowflakes in sky. Sprinkle round cake with edible glitter. Yield: 6-12 servings.
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