35th-Anniversary Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• BATTER FOR TWO CAKE LAYERS:
• 2-1/4 cups butter, softened
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4-1/2 cups sugar
• 12 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4-1/2 cups cake flour
• FROSTING:
• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 12-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 to 10 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup raspberry cake and pastry filling
• FONDANT QUILT AND HEART TOPPER:
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil spread, softened
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
• Teal and burgundy paste food coloring
• 3 ounces white candy coating

Directions

• Cover a 20-in. x 14-in. serving board with gift wrap, taping wrap to the back of board. Cover wrapped board with clear cellophane in the same way; set aside. Line two greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper.
• For the first cake layer, in a large bowl, cream 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, half of the cream cheese and 2-1/4 cups sugar. Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2-1/4 cups flour; mix well. Pour into one prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat for second cake layer.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency.
• Using a serrated knife, level tops of cakes if necessary. Place one cake layer on covered board. Frost top with 1-1/2 cups frosting; spread raspberry filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with remaining layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
• For fondant quilt, in a large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, cream vegetable oil spread until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Gradually beat in corn syrup on low speed (mixture will be stiff).
• On a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out fondant into a 10-1/2-in. square; trim 1/4 in. from all sides with a fluted pastry wheel. Referring to Fig. 1, use the straight edge of a ruler to form a parallel line 1/4 in. from each fluted edge by gently pressing down to make shallow indentations. See Fig. 2. Score a parallel line 1 in. from the last line on each side. See Fig. 3.
• Referring to Fig. 4, use the ruler to form four 5-in. squares. Score a parallel line 1 in. from each side of the two intersecting lines in the center of the quilt. See Fig. 5. Make a diagonal square (about 1-3/4-in.)in the center of each larger square. See Fig. 6.
• Carefully position fondant quilt diagonally over cake, draping ends down the sides, as in Fig. 7. With food coloring and a clean paintbrush, paint quilt squares teal and burgundy; blot gently with paper towels. See Fig. 8. The finished fondant quilt top should look like Fig. 9.
• For heart topper, in a microwave, melt white candy coating; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. On waxed paper, draw a 2-in. heart. Pipe candy coating along edge of heart; let dry. Spread remaining candy coating inside heart; smooth with a spatula and let dry.
• Paint heart burgundy; blot gently with paper towels and let dry. Pipe candy coating along inside edges of heart; pipe "35" inside heart. Let dry. With a sharp knife, make a slit on inside corner of cake; insert heart topper. Yield: about 50 servings.
  
  Editor’s Note: This recipe was prepared with Solo brand cake and pastry filling and Parkay 70% vegetable oil spread. One 24-ounce package of Wilton Pure White Rolled Fondant may be substituted for the fondant quilt ingredients. This fondant is available from Wilton Industries. Call 1-800/794-5866 or visit www.wilton.com.

Download the pattern for 35th-Anniversary Cake

35th-Anniversary Cake published in Country Woman September/October 2005, p42