Star-Spangled Kite Cake
Recipe By : Eren
Website :
http://www.strainedpeas.com
Serves/Makes : 12-16
Categories : Desserts:Cakes
Tools: 9" x 13" baking pan, wax paper, medium bowl, large bowl,
beater, spatula, toothpick, cool rack, knife, small start
cookie cutter
Cake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs. milk, divided
Decorations
3 Tbs. blue sugar sprinkles
White, red, and blue taffy (or any soft pliable candy, such as Airheads)
Red sour strips or fruit leather
Red, white, and blue candy sticks (or bread sticks)
Red licorice Pull-n-Peel
Red licorice rope
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9" x 13" baking pan with wax paper.
Grease and flour pan; set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour,
baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and cloves. In large
bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, sugars, and vanilla until
blended and thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture,
beating until smooth. Stir in zucchini, lemon peel, and walnuts,
if using. Pour batter into pan, and spread evenly with spatula.
Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to wire rack, and let
cool 15 minutes. Invert cake on rack and cool completely.
2. Prepare frosting: In large bowl, beat together cream cheese
and butter until fluffy and smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners'
sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbs. milk, and beat
to combine. If frosting feels too stiff, add some of the remaining
milk, a little at a time. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
3. Place cake on clean work surface with short side facing you. Mark
the middle of the short side with a toothpick. Cut from the corners
of the opposite short side to the toothpick, creating a V shape.
Place cut pieces together along short side, and trim to kite shape.
Place on serving plate and use some of the frosting to hold pieces
together. Spread remaining frosting over cake.
4. Trim a piece of wax paper to the exact shape of the cake. Cut
triangle out of the upper left corner of the wax paper. Place paper
over cake, and sprinkle blue sugar sprinkles over left corner.
Carefully remove wax paper. Roll taffy pieces to 1/8" thickness
(microwave taffy 10 seconds to soften, if necessary). Cut out seven
1" stars with small cookie cutter. Place stars on top of blue sugar.
Place red sour strips 1" apart on cake for stripes. Trim edges of
strips. Trim candy sticks into four 3" pieces, and push into corners
of cake. Attach licorice (Pull-n-Peel) for kite string by pressing
into top two corners. Insert the licorice rope into the bottom corner
of kite for tail. Shape blue and red taffies into bows and place on
tail.
If you don't have time to bake the spice cake from scratch, substitute
a ready-to-serve half-sheet bakery cake (12" x 16") and use canned
frosting to cover trimmed edges. Or make a carrot cake with cream
cheese frosting as detailed in the Betty Crocker Cookbook. This recipe
is in the July 2002 issue of Parents Magazine.
Kite cake idea
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