CAKE WITH TREES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 4-cup and a 2-cup oven-proof measuring cup. Place paper baking cup in each of 7 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and eggs. Add almond extract and enough green food color to make light green batter; blend well. Fill 4-cup measuring cup with 2 cups batter. Fill 2-cup measuring cup with 1 cup batter. Divide remaining batter into muffin cups.
• Bake cupcakes 20 to 25 minutes, 2-cup measuring cup 30 to 35 minutes and 4-cup measuring cup 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan and cakes from measuring cups to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Mix in 3/4 cup milk, vanilla and enough green food color to make desired green colored frosting. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time.
• Assemble and Decorate: Using serrated knife cut rounded tops off cakes baked in measuring cups to make a level surface. Place large cake, wider end down, on cake plate. Spread 1/4 cup frosting on top. Put small cake on top of large cake, wider end down. Spread 2 tablespoons frosting on top. Remove paper liner from 1 cupcake. Trim off rounded top of cupcake to flatten. Place cut side down on top of small cake. Spread 1 tablespoon frosting on top. Insert skewer through center of all cakes to secure tree. Break off pieces of one waffle cone to make top of cone even. Place cone, top side down, to form top of tree.
• Place frosting in resealable food storage bag or decorating bag. Cut 1/2 inch off corner of bag for tip of decorating bag. Starting at the base of the tree, pipe about a 1 inch dot of frosting. Use back of teaspoon, spread frosting vertically upward. Continue piping dots and spreading frosting around base of tree. Pipe another row of dots overlapping dots from previous row; spread vertically upward. Continue making and spreading dots to tip of cone. Place dot of frosting in tip of cone. Decorate tree with candy coated chocolate balls.
• To assemble and frost 6 mini trees, remove paper liners from remaining 6 cupcakes. If necessary, trim off rounded tops to flatten. Place cut side down on doilies or small individual plates. Break off pieces of 6 waffle cones to make tops of cones even. Place top side down to cover cupcakes, using frosting to secure cones on cupcakes. Using frosting in bag, pipe 1-inch dots around base of tree and use to teaspoon to spread frosting vertically. Continue making rows of dots and spreading them vertically upward to top of cone. Place dot of frosting on tip of cone. Repeat for remaining trees. Decorate trees with candy-coated chocolate balls.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in top third and bottom third positions. Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and 3 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray. Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Spoon about 2 1/2 cups batter into each 8-inch pan and about 1 1/3 cups batter into each 6-inch pan.
• Place all cake pans in preheated oven, evenly spaced on racks and without touching. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cake layers comes out clean, 24 to 26 minutes for 6-inch pans and 26 to 28 minutes for 8-inch pans. Let cake layers cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Tightly wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap; freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated and smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, salt, and food coloring; beat until well combined. Add additional blue or yellow food coloring until desired color. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
• Remove cake layers from freezer, and unwrap. Using a serrated knife, gently slice and remove the domed top from each cake layer, leaving 1 (6-inch) cake untrimmed (still domed). Place 1 of the 8-inch cake layers on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, spread top of cake layer with about 1/2 cup frosting, spreading to edges. Top with remaining 8-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer.
• Place 1 of the trimmed 6-inch cake layers in center of cake stack on cake plate; spread top with about 1/3 cup frosting, spreading to edges. Top with remaining trimmed 6-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer. Top with domed 6-inch cake layer.
• Using a serrated knife, carve cake stack into a cone shape, starting at the top center of the top cake layer and cutting downward with the knife pointed outward at a 30-degree angle, carving around all sides of cake stack and leaving bottom layer mostly uncut. Discard cake scraps, or reserve for another use.
• Using an offset spatula, spread a smooth, thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup) around all sides of cone-shaped cake. Chill cake, uncovered, until frosting is dry to the touch, about 30 minutes. (Let remaining frosting stand at room temperature until ready to use.)
• Spoon remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Starting at base of cake, pipe a ring of quarter-sized dollops of frosting around cake. Repeat piping directly above first ring. Repeat until entire cake is covered. Decorate cake with chocolate pieces and popcorn. Store cake, loosely covered, in a cool, dark place up to 2 days, or in refrigerator up to 1 week.