Gift Box Wedding Cake

1. 1

   Place 1/3 cup poppy seeds in each of four small bowls; add the water called for in cake mix directions to each bowl. Soak for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Prepare cake batters according to package directions, using poppy seed water. Bake in three greased and floured

3. 3

   s and two 8-in. square pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Prepare pudding according to package directions; refrigerate.

4. 4

   For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Add the cream, vanilla and salt; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Frosting may need to be made in batches.) Add food coloring to 4-1/2 cups frosting.

5. 5

   Cut a small hole in the corner of two plastic or pastry bags; insert #3 pastry tip in one bag and #5 pastry tip in the other. Place 1/2 cup white frosting in bag with #3 tip and 1/2 cup pink frosting in the other. Cover remaining frosting with a damp cloth until ready to use.

6. 6

   Trim two 13x9-in. cakes into 12x8-in. rectangles as in Fig. 1a; level tops. Cut an 8x2-in. strip off each, leaving two pieces (A). Cut each strip in half, forming four 4x2-in. pieces. As in Fig. 1b, attach two 4x2-in. pieces together lengthwise with white frosting to form a 4x4-in. pieces (B); repeat with two remaining pieces and set aside.

7. 7

   Trim remaining 13x9-in. cake into a 12x7-in. rectangle as in Fig. 2; level top. Cut cake in half to form two 7x6-in. pieces (C); set aside.

8. 8

   Level tops of 8-in. square cakes.

9. 9

   Each frosted layer of the cake consists of two cake pieces with a lemon pudding filling in between. Place one piece A on a covered board; spread with pudding to with 1/2 in. of edge. Place second piece A on top; set aside. Repeat filling procedure for remaining layers (pieces B, C and 8-in. squares) and place on covered boards.

10. 10

    For bottom layer, frost piece A with 3-1/2 cups white frosting. If desired, attach a ribbon across the corners of piece A (as shown in photo).

11. 11

    For second layer, frost 8-in. cake with 2-1/2 cups pink frosting. With prepared bag of white frosting, pipe a continuous string, curving up, down and around so strings never touch or cross on cake.

12. 12

    For third layer, frost piece C with 2 cups white frosting. With prepared bag of pink frosting, pipe dots 1/2 in. apart over entire cake.

13. 13

    Frost piece B with remaining pink frosting. Add bow on top.

14. 14

    For bottom three layers, cut a 1/4-in. dowel into five pieces the height of each layer. Insert dowels 1 to 2 in. apart in center of each cake to support the next layer. Carefully stack layers on a serving platter, working from largest cake to smallest. Decorate with ribbon and silk flowers as desired. Remove dowels before cutting each layer.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.