New Year’s Cake

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
2 cups Maya Cake Flour
1 ½ cup Sugar
2/3 cup Cocoa
½ cup Shortening
1 ½ cups Buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Peppermint extract
2 Eggs

Frosting:
½ cup Sugar
¼ cup Light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons Water
2 Egg whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ teaspoon Peppermint extract
Green food color
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
12 pieces Flat Chocolate Chips
Miniature Chocolate Chips

PROCEDURE

Cake: Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 round pans 9 x ½ inches. Beat all ingredients in a large bowl on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 3 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Frosting: Mix sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan. Cover and heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and boil rapidly until candy thermometer registers 242° or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a firm ball that holds its shape until pressed. As mixture boils, beat egg whites in small bowl just until stiff peak form. Pour hot syrup very slowly in a thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts; beat on high speed until stiff peak form. Tint pale green with 4or 5 drops food color. Reserve ¼ cup for decorating.

To Assemble: Fill and frost cake with remaining frosting. Stir enough powdered sugar into reserved frosting until desired consistency for writing. Place in decorating bag with writing tip #2; write on flat chocolate chips. Place flat chocolate chip in circle around top edge of cake. Make hands of clock with mini chocolate chips.