The recipe box: “Shower Them with Kisses” cake

By Alexandria Finney
Poca High School

This time of year, you may be planning to bake for your sweetheart. If so, then this recipe is the perfect one to show him or her that you care. It takes a bit of work, but the results will be well worth it.

Ingredients:
2 packages white cake mix, divided
2 1/2 cups water, divided
2/3 cup vegetable oil, divided
4 eggs
1/2 sugar, divided
1/4 cup cocoa, divided
4 cups white buttercream frosting
4 cups chocolate frosting
2 packages Hershey’s mini kisses
Milk chocolate filigree hearts (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan and an 8-inch round baking pan. Line the bottoms with wax paper, then grease and flour the paper.

2. Mix 1 package of cake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 2 eggs in a large bowl and beat until blended.

3. Place 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cocoa until blended.

4. Divide vanilla batter evenly into pans. Then, spoon in cocoa batter in dollops. Using a knife or spatula, marble (swirl) the chocolate batter through the vanilla.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pans. Remove wax paper and cool completely.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 with rest of ingredients to make a second set of cakes.

7. While cakes are cooling, cover a piece of 18 by 14-inch heavy cardboard with foil. This is the base for the cake.

8. To assemble the cake, cut both round cakes in half. Place a square cake on the foil so it looks like a diamond. Then, place one semi-circle on each of the diamond’s top sides. Coat with a small amount of frosting, and place remaining cakes on top so that they also form a heart.

9. Frost the top with white frosting and the sides with chocolate frosting. Then, outline the edges of the top layer and the bottom (on the foil) with Mini Kisses.

10. If desired, garnish with milk chocolate filigree hearts (see below).

“Milk Chocolate Filigree Hearts”

Ingredients:
1 cup Hershey’s mini kisses

1. Draw heart shapes on paper. Cover with wax paper. Place both sheets of paper on a cookie sheet.

2. Microwave Kisses on high for 30 seconds or until they melt when stirred. (In other words, don’t get them too hot.)

3. Pour chocolate into a small, heavy-duty Ziploc bag. Cut a small tip off one of the bottom corners, and use it to squirt the icing in thick outlines around your heart shapes. Fill the center of the hearts in a crisscross pattern to connect the sides. Refrigerate until firm.

4. Carefully peel wax paper away from hearts, then cover and refrigerate until ready to garnish cake.

Recipe from “The Cake Mix Bible.”