Automobile Cake

Prep Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes • Start to Finish: 4 Hours • 12 servings

• Cake
• 2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup shortening
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• Frosting
• ⅔ cup butter, softened
• 5½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• About 3 tablespoons milk
• Desired food color
• Decorations
• Tray or cardboard (13 x 9½ inches), covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap, or foil
• 4 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1 tube (.68 oz) black or brown decorating gel
• Black and white licorice beans
• 1 white and 2 red gum balls
• Silver nonpareils

1 Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly between pans.

2 Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3 Cut and remove 3-inch piece from end of 1 loaf; discard or save for another use. Freeze remaining piece uncovered about 1 hour for easier frosting.

4 In large bowl, beat ⅔ cup butter and the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk, adding more milk if necessary for spreading consistency. Reserve ½ cup frosting in small bowl. Tint remaining frosting with food color.

5 Place whole loaf on tray. Frost top with ⅓ cup of the colored frosting. Top with cut piece of loaf, positioning as shown in photo; trim front and back as desired to resemble car front and back. Attach cookies with small amount of frosting for wheels. Draw outline of windows with sharp knife. Frost windows and hubcaps with reserved white frosting. Frost sides and top of car with remaining colored frosting, building up around wheels for fenders.

6 Using decorating gel, outline windows, hood, doors and bumpers. Attach licorice beans for grille, door handles and signal lights. Cut gum balls in half; attach for headlights and taillights. Make spoke markings on wheel with knife. Press 1 silver nonpareil in center of each wheel. Attach silver nonpareils for hood ornament if desired. Remove nonpareils before serving cake.

1 Serving: Calories 640; Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 1.5g); Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 400mg; Total Carbohydrate 102g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 4g Exchanges: 1½ Starch, 5½ Other Carbohydrate, 4½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 7