Receta There Are Ants on My Cake.
The story behind the "Ants on My Cake" cake is pretty simple; basically it was what do I do with a lopsided cake? After frosting the first layer, placing the second layer on didn't come out as planned; I missed centering it, and it started to crack when trying to move it further into place. I frosted the top and sides; decided to sprinkle a little cocoa powder on top and have ants (raisins) walking up and over this hill. Moral to this story is a bit like when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you a lopsided cake, pretend you meant to do it that way and decorate accordingly.
Spice Cake
with Cream Cheese Frosting
(aka Ants on My Cake)
Ingredients:
Spice Cake
3 and ½ cups all-purpose
flour
4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup salted butter,
softened
1 and ½ cups brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
3 large eggs 1 and ½ cups buttermilk,
room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla
extract
½ cup raisins, split in
half
Frosting
12 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese,
softened
6 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. raisins
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F,
spray 2 – 8” baking pans with nonstick baking spray; or lightly grease and
flour pans
Sift together, into medium
sized bowl, flour, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Set aside.
In large bowl, cream
butter and sugars together until fluffy; slowly beat in oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition, and scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. In a small bowl, stir buttermilk
and vanilla together. Into bowl with wet
mixture, add flour mixture 1/3 at a time, alternating with 1/3 of buttermilk/vanilla
mixture. Mix well before adding next 1/3
combination. Pour batter evenly between
both prepared pans, sprinkle ¼ cup of raisins over batter in each pan; bake
for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let
cool on a wire rack before inverting cakes onto plates.
After Baking
Cooled Cakes Ready for Frosting
While cake is cooling,
prepare frosting; beat butter and cream cheese together smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla, powdered sugar, salt on low
speed; increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy. Spread 1/3 frosting on top of first cake
layer; place second cake layer on top of first; frost with 1/3 frosting; frost
sides of cakes with remaining 1/3 of frosting. Sprinkle cocoa powder over top of cake; make a
trail of “ants” with the two tablespoons of raisins.
1/3 Frosting on 1st Cake Layer
2nd Cake Layer on top of Frosted 1stFrost top and sidesDust with Cocoa Powder
Makes 12 servings.
Mary Cokenour