Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Candy Cane Cake


Candy Cane Cake


Your little elves' eyes will light up when they see—and taste—this pretty peppermint Bundt cake.

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon red food color
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

White Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, if desired

Decoration: Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube (Bundt cake) pan.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

3. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Pour about 3/4 cup batter into small bowl; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

5. In small bowl, mix all icing ingredients. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy.

Your little elves' eyes will light up when they see—and taste—this pretty peppermint Bundt cake.

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon red food color
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

White Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, if desired

Decoration: Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube (Bundt cake) pan.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

3. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Pour about 3/4 cup batter into small bowl; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

5. In small bowl, mix all icing ingredients. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Tomato Cage Christmas Trees

Tomato Cage Christmas Trees
This idea is floating around the internet right now…here’s my version of the Tomato Cage Christmas Trees. Wrap the cages with mini lights and use wire to fix them to the frame.
Leave long tails on your wire so that you can use them to attach the sinamay. Pull, puff and pinch it all the way around the frame. Add some balls and that’s it! How simple and fun is this?
I plan to set a few of these up in my yard this year….I’ll update this post with a picture when I do.