CREAMY FROSTING FOR CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour. In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate with water over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool.
• In large bowl, beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating and scraping well after each addition. Beat in chocolate mixture. On low speed, beat in remaining cake ingredients until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter evenly into pans.
• Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; place on wire racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 2-quart saucepan, cook 1 cup sugar, the evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter and 3 eggs over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer, top side down, on serving plate. Spread with 1/3 of frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers and frosting, ending with frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In a bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk sour cream, milk and amaretto until blended. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating well after each addition., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., In a large bowl, beat butter, vanilla and salt until creamy. Beat in enough confectioners' sugar, alternately with amaretto, to reach desired consistency. Reserve 2/3 cup frosting for piping., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting., Pipe reserved frosting around bottom edge of cake. If desired, decorate cake with flowers, using almonds for petals and M&M's for the centers. Pipe designs on frosting with melted chocolate as desired.