Snow Globe Cake

1. 1

   In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and molasses; mix well. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour 1-3/4 cups into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan; pour remaining batter into a greased 9-in. round baking pan.

2. 2

   Bake at 375u00b0for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. 3

   For frosting, in a bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add confectioners' sugar; beat for 5 minutes or until very smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Place 1 cup in another bowl; tint with brown food coloring. Place 1/4 cup each in three bowls; tint one green, one red and one blue. Leave the remaining frosting white.

4. 4

   Place loaf cake on a work surface with a long side facing you. To make globe base, measure 2 in. in from top right corner; cut at an angle from that point to the lower right corner. Repeat on other side. (Save cut out cake wedges for another use.) Place base on a 14x10-in. covered board; frost top and sides brown.

5. 5

   Place round cake above base; frost top and sides white. Gently press cookie cutters into cake to outline horse and sleigh, or outline them free hand. Frost horse brown. Place red frosting in a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in the corner. Pipe outline of sleigh and three horizontal strips on the sleigh. Pipe a rein from horse to sleigh.

6. 6

   Make pine trees with green frosting. Using a toothpick and white frosting, add white streaks in the trees for snow.

7. 7

   Frost the bottom third of round cake blue. Transfer remaining blue frosting to a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in the corner. Pipe snowflakes in sky. Sprinkle round cake with edible glitter.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.