Christmas Stocking Cake

You'll get plenty of oohs and aahs with this charmingly decorated cake.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 2/3 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups C&H Pure Cane granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• Green food coloring
• Red candies

Buttercream Frosting

• 3 3/4 cups C&H Pure Cane Powdered Sugar (1 pound box)
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or Half-and-Half

Instructions

1. Generously grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Line the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Grease and flour paper and set aside.

Cake

1. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract. Add flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing on low speed. Pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto cooling rack and cool completely. Remove wax paper.
3. Cut cake into Christmas stocking shape using the photo as a guide. Frost the upper top of cake with a thin layer of white buttercream to form white top of stocking. Using 3/4 cup of the white buttercream fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars over the white stocking top. Frost the remaining stocking with green buttercream. Use remaining white buttercream to outline stocking toe and heel. Decorate with red candies.

Buttercream Frosting

1. Combine in large bowl with mixer at low speed, powdered sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla extract and milk or Half-and-Half. Beat at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk to reach spreading consistency. Remove 1 cup of white frosting and set aside. Tint remaining frosting green.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: C&H Sugar, Inc.