Little Drummer Boy Cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup red decorating sugar
60 red spice drops
1/2 cup white Sixlets
1 cup red Sixlets
1 cup green Sixlets
1 1/2 cups red, green, and silver foil-wrapped chocolate balls
Rum Cream Frosting
4 sticks butter 1 pound, at room temperature
2 boxes powdered sugar 16 ounces each
1/4 cup Captain Morgan® White Rum
INSTRUCTIONS
Cake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottoms of three 6- or 7-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
In a bowl, with a mixer on low, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, and oil until incorporated. Increase to medium-high and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pans.
Sprinkle a work surface with some of the red sugar. Press 30 of the red spice drops together. Sprinkle the top of the spice drops with some of the remaining red sugar. Roll out the spice drops, adding more red sugar when necessary to prevent sticking, to a 2 x 13-inch strip. Cut strip into twelve 1¾-inch triangles. Press the remaining spice drops plus any scraps together. Repeat process and use a fluted pastry wheel to cut two ¾-inch-wide lengthwise strips (to be used around base of cake).
See below for Rum Cream Frosting recipe. Place ½ cup frosting in a zip-top bag. Seal bag and set aside.
Trim tops of cakes layers with a serrated knife to level. Place a cake layer on a serving platter, trimmed side up. Spread top with some frosting. Place second layer on top, pressing into frosting to secure, and spread with frosting. Place remaining layer on top, trimmed side down. Insert straws or a wooden skewer into cake layers to secure. Spread a light layer of frosting over cake. Freeze cake to set (30 minutes).
Spread chilled cake with remaining frosting and smooth. Press strips of red around base, trimming to ft. Press triangles along top edge of cake, points down. Snip a small corner from bag of reserved frosting. Pipe small dots of frosting around top edge of cake and attach red and green Sixlets in alternating colors. Place two rows of white Sixlets around base of cake. Pipe dots of frosting on side of the cake at tips of red triangles and press a foil-covered chocolate onto cake. Arrange remaining foil-covered chocolates on top.
Rum Cream Frosting
In a bowl, with a mixer on low, beat butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add white rum, increase to medium-high, and beat until frosting is white and fluffy, about 3 minutes.