Ingredients
1 package yellow cake mix, 18.25 oz
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 package softened cream cheese, 8 oz
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 package confectioners' sugar, 16 oz
1 green food coloring
1 assorted decorations: small
1 candies,
1 colored sugars, assorted
1 sprinkles, nonpareils, small
1 caramel rolls,
1 licorice sticks (cut in 1 1/2 in. p, ieces)
Directions
Heat oven to 350. Grease 15 1/2* 10 1/2* 1" jelly roll pan; line with
waxed paper; grease paper. Prepare cake mix according to pack
directions for "lite" recipe, beating in orange peel. Pour batter
into pan; bake 20 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool
cake in pan at least 15 minutes. Invert onto board covered with waxed
paper; lift off pan; peel away paper from bottom of cake. Cool
completely. While cake cools, from lightweight cardboard, cut
triangle pattern in one or more of the following sizes: 4" base, 5
1/2" sides; 3" base, 4" sides; 2 1/2" base, 3 1/2" sides; 2 1/4"
base, 2 3/4" sides. Using cardboard patterns, cut triangles of cake,
turning & fitting patterns, as necessary, to use all of cake. Take
care to remove waxed paper from under cake. In large bowl with mixer
at medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese & vanilla until light &
fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar; beat 5-7 minutes
until thoroughly blended & smooth. Remove half of frosting & stir in
green food coloring to desired shade. Using flexible metal spatula,
spread frosting over top & sides of cake triangle, smoothing it on or
swirling gently to resemble tree branches. Decorate cakes as desired
with candies, colored sugars, assorted sprinkles & nonpareils. Using
tip of small knife, gently hollow out small area in center of bottom
edge of each tree; insert caramel roll or licorice sticks for trunks.
Servings: 1 servings
Christmas Tree Cakes Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Christmas; Dessert; Holiday
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be observed way back into the distant past, in truth as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. Interesting though that maybe, in the main part, these ancient cookbooks were just basic pictorial recipes for preparing food.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe discovered, according to experts in ancient history is a collection of ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. Progressing into The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his works, Apicius tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into hors d`oeuvre, entrees and dessert, something we still use today. This early Roman chef recounts how the early Romans were skilled in the use of a good variety of aromatic flavors, including many that are still in use today for example basil, mint and asafoetida. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times there were two recipe books from the fourteenth century : a book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these are nothing to do with the indian food that is familiar to us all today, but instead accounts of the types of food on the menus of the nobility of that period. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods, spices and herbs from the holy lands, including basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new foods and spices prompted an outbreak in publications on food, most of which are kept safe in private cookery archives. Over the next few centuries, the rich and powerful families of Europe competed to offer the best banquets, and consequentially the best cooks and their collection of recipes increased in prestige. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that fine cookery and recipe books reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, spent years to collecting, trying out, and recording the recipes of their peers. By the arrival of the twentieth century, cookery publications are in great demand, due to better eduction, more leisure time and a general increase in wealth. The introduction of television brings us TV cookery programs and the spin-off recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to access thousands of recipes such as those found on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Christmas Tree Cakes recipe.
