Gardenpatchcake Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in vegetables. Add chips and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake. Store in refrigerator., Editor's Note: See below for decorating frosting recipe and directions., GARDEN PATCH CAKE DECORATING:, In a bowl, cream shortening, extracts and salt. Gradually beat in sugar alternately with milk until smooth and stiff. Cover with a wet paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use., TO MAKE TRELLIS:, Lay 5 craft or Popsicle sticks on a sheet of waxed paper with 1/4 in between bottom of sticks (ends that are inserted into cake) and 1/2 in. between tops. Spread back side of remaining sticks with frosting; position across the 5 sticks 1 in. and 2 in. down from the top. Allow to dry, about 1 hour. Press bottom of sticks into upper left corner of cake., TO MAKE GARDEN PATCH:, Using a toothpick, mark a 5-1/2x3-1/2-in. patch in lower right corner. Lightly sprinkle with cocoa and gently press into cake., TO MAKE VEGETABLES AND BORDER:, Cut a small hole in corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #10 round tip. Combine 1/4 cup frosting and red food coloring; fill bag. Holding bag straight up and down, form 8-10 tomatoes in front of the trellis. Prepare another bag, inserting #5 round tip. Combine 1/2 cup frosting and yellow food coloring; fill bag. Using the same procedure, form rows of small dots to create kernel of 8-10 ears of corn in upper right corner. Wash #10 tip and insert into a third bag. Combine 1/2 cup frosting and orange food coloring; fill bag. Using the same procedure, form 3 rows of 4 carrots on the garden patch. Add green food coloring to remaining frosting. Prepare a fourth bag, inserting leaf tip; fill with some of the frosting. Form husks on edges of ears of corn; add stems and leaves to tomatoes and carrots. Add vines to trellis. Prepare a fifth bag, inserting the star tip; fill with remaining green frosting. Form a border around base and upper edge of cake.

Steps:

• For the tomatoes: Knead the red fruit chews together in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll into small balls. Use a skewer to make wrinkles in the top and drill a small hole in each.
• For the carrots: Knead the orange fruit chews in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form each piece into a carrot shape. Drill a hole in the top of each with a skewer.
• For the eggplant: Knead the purple fruit chews together in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form each piece into an eggplant shape. Knead the green fruit chews in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces, form each piece into a stem shape and place one on each eggplant.
• For the lettuce: Knead the green and yellow fruit chews together in your hands until soft, pliable and evenly mixed. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 4-inch-long rope and lightly press to flatten. Roll up each rope to form concentric circles like a head of lettuce, flaring out the outer layer to form leaves.
• For the bunny butt and feet: Place the regular marshmallow on the end of a skewer and frost it entirely with the frosting. Roll the marshmallow in the coconut to completely coat. Remove from the skewer. Dab a small dollop of the white frosting on the flat side of the regular marshmallow to use as glue, towards the top in the 12-o'clock position. Glue on the mini marshmallow to create a bunny tail.
• To make bunny feet, use the pink icing to pipe paw pads onto each almond. Dab 2 small dollops of the white frosting on the flat side of the regular marshmallow to use as glue, towards the bottom in the 4- and 8-o'clock positions. Glue on the bunny feet.
• For the sunflowers: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the almonds, yellow food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon water and mix until the almonds are yellow. Spread out on the lined baking sheet to dry.
• Insert the almond slices into the frosting around the edge of the mini cupcakes in 2 rows to mimic the petals of a sunflower. Carefully sprinkle the center of each cupcake with the chocolate sprinkles to mimic sunflower seeds.
• For the cake assembly: If using a 1/2 sheet cake, use a toothpick to draw a 12-by-8-inch rectangle in the center of the cake, 1 1/2 inches from the edges. This rectangle will be the dirt garden plot. Cut about 58 of the rolled wafer cookies in half and set aside.
• If using a 1/4 sheet cake, draw a 10-by-6-1/2-inch rectangle in the center of the cake, 1 inch from the edges, to form the dirt garden plot. Cut about 36 of the rolled wafer cookies in half and set aside.
• Fill a large resealable plastic bag with the green frosting. Using a toothpick, punch 8 to 10 holes in one of the corners along the bottom of the bag. Squeeze the bag and pipe grass in the border around the garden plot. Carefully spread an even layer of the ground cookies inside the rectangle to create dirt for the garden plot. Using the remaining ground cookies, make 4 evenly spaced long dirt mounds in the plot.
• Press the rolled wafer cookie halves around the outside of the cake to form a fence.
• Place the eggplants along one of the dirt mounds. Place the carrots along the second dirt mound and plant some into the dirt. Insert mint sprigs into the top of the carrots to create carrot tops. Place the lettuce heads along the third dirt mound. Place the tomatoes along the fourth with mint sprigs to mimic vines.
• Place a sunflower mini cupcake in each corner of the garden and place 2 mint sprigs around each to mimic leaves. Place the bunny butt in the garden plot.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
• Combine dry ingredients; add to egg mixture and mix well.
• Stir in vegetables.
• Add chocolate chips and mix well.
• Pour into a greased and floured 13x9-inch baking pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or test done.
• For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
• Spread over cooled cake.
• Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Place cake on a clean work surface. Using a serrated knife, trim top to make level, and split cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Place a dab of buttercream in the center of a 9-by-13-inch cardboard rectangle. Center 1 cake layer on top. Using an offset spatula, frost top of cake layer with 5 cups buttercream for the filling; place remaining cake layer on top. Frost entire cake with remaining 5 cups buttercream. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate morsels in a double-boiler or a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Stir in vegetable oil until combined. Remove from heat. Dip pretzels into chocolate to coat, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let sit in a cool place until chocolate has set.
• Using white glue, affix cardboard rectangle to a cutting board or piece of plywood covered with adhesive-backed paper, approximately 14-by-18 inches. Process chocolate cookies in a food processor until finely ground; you will need 2 cups of crumbs. Sprinkle top of chilled cake with crumbs. Place marzipan terracotta pot in center of cake. Sprinkle candy pebbles on top of cake to form a path. Arrange marzipan flowers and garden hose in clusters on either side of path.
• Gently press pretzels into sides of cake, about 1/2-inch apart. Serve at room temperature.