You won’t need fancy pans to make this sporting dessert. Our kids and their cousins all wanted pieces that had the red licorice lacing! Fresh, pliable licorice works the best for forming the laces on the curved ball cake.
—SUE GRONHOLZ BEAVER DAM, WI
PREP: 30 MIN. • BAKE: 40 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 8-10 SERVINGS
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
FROSTING
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Dash salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa
Shoestring red licorice
1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour 1 1/2 cups batter into a greased and floured 3-cup ovenproof bowl.
2. Pour remaining batter into a greased and floured 9-in. round baking pan. Bake cakes at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the shortening, butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in 3 tablespoons milk, extracts and salt until smooth. Set aside 1 cup frosting.
4. Beat cocoa and 1 tablespoon milk into remaining frosting. Cut a 3x1-in. oval from an edge of the 9-in. cake for the thumb of the mitt. Place cake on an 11-in. covered board; frost with the chocolate frosting.
5. With pieces of licorice, form crosses over thumb opening for laces in mitt. Frost the rounded cake with white frosting. Use licorice pieces to form laces of ball. Place on mitt cake opposite the thumb opening.