Candy Cane Cake recipe

Makes 12 servings

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
1/2 teaspoon red food color
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

White Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, if desired
Decoration
Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Into small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

2. Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

3. In small bowl, mix icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy. Store loosely covered.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude cake mix directions for 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 300mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 28g); Protein 3g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4%

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Success:
Fluted tube cake pans can be a challenge to grease. Try this: Place a dab of shortening on the outside of a small plastic sandwich bag. Slip the bag on your hand and rub shortening on the inside of the pan. Repeat with more shortening until every nook and cranny is greased. Give the inside of the pan a good sprinkling with flour, shake excess from pan, and your baked cake will slip right out!

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Betty Crocker 2007/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved