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Anniversary Cake

ROYAL ICING:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 to 3 teaspoons water, divided
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
CAKE:
2 cups shortening
3-1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons salt
3 cups milk
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR YELLOW CAKE:
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON CAKE:
4-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 teaspoons lemon extract
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR SPICE CAKE:
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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Anniversary Cake cont.

1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup shortening
12 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups lemon curd, raspberry filling, apricot filling, poppy seed filling or purchased filling of your choice
Gel or paste food coloring

In a mixing bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup water, meringue powder
and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 7-10
minutes or until stiff peaks form. (Keep icing covered at all times with a damp
cloth to keep from drying out. If necessary to restore texture later, beat again
on high speed. Prepare only half of the icing recipe if using store-bought candy
roses or edible flowers to decorate.) ROSES: Divide icing in half; set
half aside. If using store-bought roses, refer to photo for position and attach

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Anniversary Cake

roses to top of cake using a dab of icing. If making icing roses, cut a hole in
the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip # 12 and fill with
remaining icing. Holding the bag straight up, pipe a dome-shaped mound or icing
on the flower nail. With petal tip #103 and icing, hold pastry bag with narrow
end farther away from the rose tip and turning the nail, pipe a row of three
standing petals. Pipe a second row of petals, holding the narrow tip end at a
greater angle. Repeat for a third row. Gently slide scissor ends underneath
rose and remove it from nail to waxed paper; let dry completely. Repeat with
remaining icing to make 20-22 roses. (Flowers can be made several weeks in
advance and stored in an airtight container.) NUMERALS AND CAKE TOPPER:
Set aside 1/2 cup of reserved icing. With round tip #4 and remaining reserved
icing, pipe at least ten 3/4-in.-square "25"s, making sure to connect the two and
five at the base of each. For cake topper, place pattern of your choice under
waxed paper; tape both to work surface. Completely outline edges; let dry for 10
minutes. To reserved 1/2 cup icing, stir in remaining 2-3 teaspoons water to
thin. Fill in outline of cake topper with thinned icing, using the same tip. Let
dry completely, thin place in an airtight container to store before use.
CAKE: Line two greased 12-in. round baking pans with parchment or waxed
paper; grease and flour paper and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening
and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine the flour,

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Anniversary Cake cont.

baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
Stir in additional cake ingredients based on the desired cake flavor. Pour into
prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to
wire racks to cool completely. FROSTING: In a large mixing bowl, cream
the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar until well combined. Beat in
milk, vanilla and salt until mixture becomes light and fluffy.
ASSEMBLING: Split each cooled cake into two horizontal layers. Place
bottom layer on serving plate; spread with a thin layer of frosting. Top with 3/4
cup filling of your choice. Spread a thin later of frosting over the bottom of
next layer; place cake, frosted side down, over filling. Repeat layers twice. Top
with remaining cake layer. Set aside 3 cups frosting. Tint remaining frosting
with color of your choice; set aside 1/2 cup. Spread remaining tinted frosting
over top and sides of cake. Place reserved tinted frosting in a pastry or plastic
bag with round tip #4. Pipe lettering and outlines over cake topper. Let dry.
FINISHING: Place reserved white frosting in a pastry bag with star tip
#21. Pipe eight vertical columns around sides of cake. With the same tip, pipe a
shell border around top and bottom of cake. Just before serving, use small dabs
of frosting to attach numerals between columns and roses at top of columns. Stand
cake topper up in center of cake; continue to hold while piping two large dollops

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Anniversary Cake

of frosting on either side of cake topper. Using leaf tip #69, pipe leaves around
cluster of roses. (Dried decorations will collapse upon refrigeration. Remove to
save.)

Yield: 25-30 servings.