Six-Layer Strawberry Cake

From: Family Circle

This towering layer cake recipe, filled with a pink-tinted strawberry filling and frosted with a white cream cheese frosting, makes a dessert worthy of your mom on Mother's Day.

Servings: Makes 20 servings.

Prep: 55 mins

Total: 2 hrs 23 mins

Ingredients

Cake:

3-1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur

1 cup buttermilk

Red food coloring

2/3 cup diced strawberries

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

4 boxes (1 pound each) confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup milk

Red food coloring

1/3 cup diced strawberries

Decoration:

2 cups unsweetened shaved coconut OR: unsweetened flake coconut

6 medium-size strawberries

Directions

1. Cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 3 straight-sided 8 x 2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with waxed paper; coat paper with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into large bowl.

3. Beat shortening in large bowl on medium speed, gradually adding 1-1/2 cups sugar; beat 2 minutes or until smooth. Add vanilla and liqueur; beat 1 minute.

4. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour; then beat on medium-high speed 2 minutes. Tint with 10 drops food coloring. Fold in diced strawberries.

5. Place egg whites (be sure there are no specks of yolk in the whites) in separate large, clean bowl. With clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on high speed, gradually adding remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff glossy peaks form.

6. Stir one-quarter beaten whites into cake batter to lighten; gently fold in remaining whites. Divide batter among 3 prepared pans.

7. Bake in 350 degree F oven 28 to 30 minutes, until cakes spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove paper; let cool.

8. Frosting: Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 package cream cheese in large bowl until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add half of the extracts, 2 boxes sugar and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat on low until blended; scrape down sides of bowl. Beat on high until smooth and spreading consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Tint with 8 drops coloring. Stir in diced strawberries.

9. Use remaining frosting ingredients to make second batch, omitting coloring so frosting is white.

10. Trim 2 cakes even; leave third layer with crown. Insert picks around side of one layer, halfway up side. Using picks as guide, slice in half. Repeat with other 2 layers (6 layers). Discard picks. Makes 20 servings.

Royal Christmas Cake

From: Better Homes and Gardens

Filled with candied fruits and nuts, then topped with snowy-white frosting, this cake is a Christmas dessert recipe that will be memorable.

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1-1/2 cups currants

1-1/2 cups dark or golden raisins

1-1/2 cups diced mixed candied fruits and peels

1 cup candied red and/or green cherries

1/2 cup almonds, ground*

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup rum, brandy, or orange juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Rum, brandy, or orange juice (about 1/3 cup)

1 8-ounce can almond paste

1 recipe Royal Icing (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Grease bottom and sides of two 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper. Grease paper; sprinkle bottom and sides of pans lightly with flour; set aside. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in currants, raisins, fruits and peels, cherries, and almonds. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl beat eggs slightly with a fork. Add granulated sugar, butter, 1/2 cup rum, and lemon juice; stir until combined. Stir egg mixture into fruit mixture; pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (If necessary, cover pans loosely with foil after 1 hour to prevent overbrowning.) Cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes; loosen edges. Remove cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks.

4. Wrap layers separately in 100-percent cotton cheesecloth moistened with additional rum, brandy, or juice. Wrap with foil or place in large self-sealing plastic bags. Store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. Remoisten cheesecloth with a little additional rum if it becomes dry.

5. To assemble, up to 2 hours before serving, unwrap cake layers. Place 1 cake layer, top side down, on a serving plate. Spread with half of the almond paste. (Or, if paste is too thick to spread, divide in half and shape into balls. Place each ball between 2 sheets of waxed paper; flatten slightly. With a rolling pin, roll each portion into a 9-1/2-inch circle; trim to form a 9-inch circle. Remove top sheet of paper from 1 circle; invert onto cake. Remove remaining paper).

6. Spread about 3/4 cup of the Royal Icing over almond paste on first cake layer. Add second cake layer, top side up; spread or top with remaining almond paste. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining Royal Icing. If desired, garnish with bay leaves (do not eat). Let stand at least 30 minutes to allow Icing to set. Serve within 2 hours of frosting. Makes 16 servings.

Note
Use a grinder, blender, or food processor to grind nuts.

Royal Icing
Combine 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup meringue powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. Use immediately; cover icing in bowl with damp paper towel or with plastic wrap while working to prevent drying. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.