Chocolate-Mint Present Cake Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1-1/3 cups baking cocoa
• 2-2/3 cups boiling water
• 1-1/3 cups butter, softened
• 3-1/3 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup crushed peppermint candies

FROSTING :

• 1-2/3 cups butter, softened
• 15 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, divided
• 2-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

FONDANT :

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 9 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 pieces ribbon candy (4 inches x 1 inch)
• Assorted round candies, optional

Directions :

1. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and water until smooth; cool completely. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in peppermint candies.
2. Pour into four greased and floured 9-in. square baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 cup milk and extract; beat on low until combined. Beat on medium for 1 minute or until frosting achieves spreading consistency, adding remaining milk if necessary.
4. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with frosting. Repeat three times. Frost sides of cake.
5. For fondant, in a large mixing bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, cream shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Gradually beat in corn syrup on low speed (mixture will be stiff).
6. Divide in half; tint one portion red and one portion pink. For ribbon, on a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out red portion into a 19-in. x 4-in. rectangle; cut in half lengthwise. Carefully arrange over cake, draping ends down the sides. On a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out pink portion into a 19-in. x 2-in. rectangle; cut in half lengthwise. Carefully position over red ribbon, draping ends down the sides.
7. Just before serving, break ribbon candies in half; place over ribbon on top of cake, creating a bow. Decorate with round candies if desired. Yield: 24 servings.

source : http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-mint-present-cake

Monkey Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
• 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
• 24 vanilla wafers
• Black and red decorating gel
• 48 pastel blue and/or green milk chocolate M&M's
• 12 Nutter Butter cookies 

Directions :

1. Prepare batter and bake according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely.
2. Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. With a serrated knife, cut off and discard a fourth of each vanilla wafer. Place a wafer on each cupcake, with the rounded edge of wafer near edge of cupcake, for face. Add dots of black gel for nostrils. With red gel, pipe on mouths.
3. Place M&M's above wafers for eyes; add dots of black gel for pupils. Using reserved frosting and a #16 star tip, pipe hair. Carefully separate cookies; cut each in half. Position one on each side of cupcakes for ears. Yield: 2 dozen.

source : http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/monkey-cupcakes

Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons orange yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-3/4 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
• 4 to 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• Mixed fresh berries 

Directions :

1. Line an 8-in. square baking dish with foil and grease the foil; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, yogurt, egg, orange peel and vanilla until blended. Combine flour and cocoa; stir into sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips.
2. Spread into prepared dish. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Spread ice cream over cake. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or until firm.
4. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Using foil, lift dessert out of dish; gently peel off foil. Cut into squares. Garnish with berries and drizzle with chocolate. Yield: 9 servings.

source : http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/summer-celebration-ice-cream-cake

Cream Cheese Penguins

Ingredients :

Original recipe makes 18 penguins :

•  18 jumbo black olives, pitted
•  1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
•  18 small black olives
•  1 carrot

Directions :

1. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
2. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

source : http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-Cheese-Penguins/Detail.aspx?evt19=1&referringHubId=263 

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients :

•  3 pints fresh strawberries
•  1/2 cup white sugar
•  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•  4 teaspoons baking powder
•  2 tablespoons white sugar
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/3 cup shortening
•  1 egg
•  2/3 cup milk
•  2 cups whipped heavy cream

Directions :

1. Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.
5. Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

Source : http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Shortcake/?prop24=hn_slide1_Strawberry-Shortcake&evt19=1