Birthday Blocks

Name: Birthday Blocks
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 16 servings.
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups butter, softened; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 3 cups sugar; 6 large eggs, room temperature; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract; FROSTING/DECORATING:; 1/3 cup butter, softened; 9 cups confectioners' sugar, divided; 1/2 cup milk; 3 teaspoons vanilla extract; Additional milk; Tinted icing and pastry bag or tubes of tinted icing

Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this simple pound cake recipe. It makes the cake firm for cutting—and easy to frost, too. This cake can be baked ahead and frozen, then thawed before the party and decorated, leaving you with plenty of time for other preparations. — Ethel Ledbetter, Canton, North Carolina

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
FROSTING/DECORATING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
9 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional milk
Tinted icing and pastry bag or tubes of tinted icing

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour; beat just until blended. Stir in extracts. Pour into two greased and floured 9x5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 325° for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in 4 cups confectioners' sugar. Slowly add milk and vanilla. Beat in remaining confectioners' sugar. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches spreading consistency; set aside.
To make building blocks, cut each cake in half, then cut each half into four blocks for a total of 16 blocks. Gently trim crusts of each; blocks should measure 1-3/4x1-3/4 in. Frost sides and top of blocks. Smooth frosting using a warm spatula. Using tinted icing, decorate with letters and numbers (see photo). Carefully stack blocks on a serving platter.

Originally published as Birthday Blocks in Crafting Traditions May/June 1996