While I had some recipes, one household hint for fruit flies and a picture of me hard at work hand copying yummy recipes, I admit they all flew right out the window when I took a look at my email this morning and saw the latest from Betty Crocker. Oh My Goodness.The most delicious cakes were being featured and I must admit that even though they start with box mixes and are hardly homemade... they just call out to be made!
Beautiful and I'm sure just as delicious I immediately wanted to be sure I added them to my collection of recipes to make... so here it is. The only problem is that they had about 5 that looked heavenly and I don't know which one to make first!
Cake
1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
2 t almond extract
6 drops red food color
Garnish
4 oz vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped
2 t vegetable oil
Red food color
Frosting
1/2 c butter softened
1/4 c shortening
1 t almond extract
4 c powdered sugar
4 to 5 T milk
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 2 (9- or 8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients, including 2 teaspoons almond extract and 6 drops food color, as directed on box. Pour into pans.
Bake as directed on box for 9- or 8-inch rounds pans or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave candy coating uncovered on High 1 minute, stirring twice, until melted and smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil. Spoon about half the melted coating into another bowl; stir in 2 or 3 drops food color to tint it light pink.
Line 6-ounce custard cup or other small bowl with foil. Pour half of the untinted coating into foil-lined bowl. Drop half of the pink coating on top; pull a knife through coatings to make marbled design. Repeat with remaining untinted and tinted coatings, adding on top of marbled coatings. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until set; remove from refrigerator. (If refrigerated longer, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften.)
In large bowl, beat butter, shortening, 1 teaspoon almond extract, the powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Beat on medium speed, adding enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon milk until fluffy and spreadable. Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate; frost top. Top with second layer, rounded side up. Frost side and top of cake.
Remove coating from bowl; peel off foil. With vegetable peeler, make curls by pulling peeler around the outside edge of block of coating. Place curls on top of cake.
