Happy Endings

The holiday season includes sugar and spice and everything nice ... and probably far more calories than any of us would like to admit. My personal policy is to save them for special occasion foods and treats that I can't get all year long. This month's featured cake is just that. A beautiful bundt cake dripping with a snowy icing and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. Then, upon cutting into it, a candy cane striped center is revealed! Beautiful and delicious on the inside and out, it's a perfect holiday treat.

Pair this lovely cake at the end of a meal with hot coffee, hot cocoa and a selection of fine liqueurs. You can decorate each plate with a mini candy cane, too! Seasoned greetings!

As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at . Enjoy!

Candy Cane Cake

For the Cake:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
  • 1/2 tsp. red food color
  • 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

For the White Icing:

  • 1 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 T. milk or water
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla, if desired

For the Decoration:

  • Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Prepare the cake batter as directed on the box. Pour about 2 cups of the batter into the pan. Into a small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup of the batter; stir in the food coloring and peppermint extract. Carefully pour the pink batter over the white batter in the pan. Carefully pour the remaining white batter over the pink batter.

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

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

  • Yields: 12 servings
  • Preparation Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes