Peppermint Candy Cake
- 3 layers white cake (use your own recipe or see below)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup crushed hard peppermint candies, divided
Vanilla frosting (use your own recipe or see below)
To make peppermint filling, melt butter in small saucepan. Add
sugar, milk and extract. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring
constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
While cake layers are still warm, prick tops with a toothpick.
Place one layer on cake plate and pour one-third of peppermint
filling slowly over layer. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of peppermint
candy. Repeat with remaining layers, but don't sprinkle top layer
with candy. Frost top and sides with frosting, then sprinkle top
and sides with remaining ½ cup peppermint candy.
Cake Layers:
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat shortening with mixer at medium
speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed
5 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to shortening
mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour
mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir
in vanilla.
Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold
into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cake
pans. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool 10 more minutes on wire racks.
Boiled Frosting:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Combine sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt in a heavy saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is clear.
Cook without stirring until mixture reaches soft ball stage or
registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. While syrup cooks,
beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks
form. Continue to beat egg whites, adding hot syrup in a heavy
stream. Add extract and beat until stiff peaks form and frosting
is thick enough to spread.
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