Train Cake Recipes

TRAIN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms only of two 8x4- or 9x5-inch loaf pans. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake yellow cake 28 to 36 minutes and devil's food cake 31 to 39 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooking racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes until firm.
• Meanwhile, divide vanilla frosting evenly among 4 small bowls; tint 1 bowl frosting red, 1 bowl frosting yellow,1 bowl frosting blue and 1 bowl frosting green with food colors. Spoon 1/2 cup chocolate frosting into resealable plastic bag; set aside.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off each cake to level surface; place each cake cut side down. Cut first cake as shown in diagram to make engine, being careful not to cut all the way through piece 1 when removing piece 2. Place piece 2 on top of piece 1 as shown in diagram, with a small amount of frosting between pieces. Cut second cake into 4 equal pieces to make cars as shown in diagram. Spread thin layer of chocolate frosting over top and sides of engine to seal in crumbs. For each of the car cakes, spread thin layer of red, yellow, blue and green frosting over top and sides of each car to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cakes 30 to 60 minutes or until frosting is set.
• Using chocolate frosting in resealable plastic bag, snip off small corner of bag. Pipe train tracks onto serving tray. Frost engine cake with remaining chocolate frosting. Frost boxcars with remaining colored frosting. Using large spatula, transfer cakes to serving tray.
• Cut pieces of licorice twist; place on front of engine, slanting outward, for the cow-catcher. Use licorice twist to add "trim" to the engine. Add gumdrops for engine "face" and chocolate candies for smoke stack. Top back of engine with crumbled cookies. Add gummy candy rings for wheels. Cut pieces of licorice twist to add "trim" to each of the cars. Add gummy candy rings for wheels. Top each car with assorted candies. Store loosely covered.

ALL ABOARD! SNICKERDOODLE TRAIN

Steps:

• Also Need:.
• 1 large cake, board or 1 piece , sturdy cardboard.
• hot glue, gun for gluing train tracks.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease train pan and dust with flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
• In medium bowl, combine melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; mix until well blended.
• Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and blend on low speed, scraping bowl often.
• Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
• Carefully spoon batter into pan, dividing evenly among cups.
• Top pan firmly on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
• Spread batter out to top edges of each cup, so batter is lower in the center.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 20-27 minutes, until toothpick inserted come out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes in pan; invert cakes onto cooling rack and cool completely.
• In large bowl, combine vegetable shortening, butter and vanilla.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping bowl often.
• Add milk, beating on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
• Remove 2 1/2 cups frosting and color as desired to decorate train cars.
• Decorate with assorted candies.
• To make train tracks: cut black licorice twists in half lengthwise.
• Using glue gun, pipe glue along cut side of licorice.
• Glue licorice to cardboard.
• Cotinue with licorice, shaping track as desired.
• Color remaining frosting green and spread onto cardboard around train track. Sprinkle with green sugar.
• Place decorated tan onto tracks.
• Makes 9 cake train cars.

BIRTHDAY TRAIN CAKE

Steps:

• Line up cakes on large tray or serving platter for train cars.
• Cut 2-inch-thick crosswise slice off front cake; place at back end of the first cake to resemble train engine. Repeat with last cake, placing the removed cake slice in the middle of the last cake to resemble caboose.
• Divide whipped topping among four small bowls; tint with food colorings as desired. Use to frost cakes. Add decorations as desired. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

COLORFUL CRITTER TRAIN

Steps:

• Directions: Read all directions before beginning work. A clear day with low humidity will give you the best results with Royal Icing. Assemble and decorate the critter train. This can, be done a week in advance and stored in an airtight container. Do make sure to have extra icing on hand the day of the party for any necessary last-minute repairs., CUTTING CRACKERS/COOKIES: Use a clean ruler and knife to score straight cutting lines onto graham crackers and cookies. Cut along straight lines with the knife, working with one cookie or cracker at a time. Place cookie or cracker always on crumb-free cutting board, cleaning the board often. Draw the knife toward you on the scored line without applying pressure. Continue to make similar strokes toward you until the cut is completed (five or more strokes). , To cut curved lines, guide the knife along the lines to make the first stroke. Then cut in the established groove until cut is complete. Or gently carve away the cracker to the marked line., ICING: Make icing with recipe that follows, using it to "glue" the train pieces together and decorate them. Making sure that bowl and utensils are grease-free, beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes with heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes with hand mixer). Keep in an airtight covered bowl. Cover bowl and, pastry bags with damp dish towels. *For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water., ASSEMBLY: For each car, refer to appropriate diagrams and individual directions. To "glue" pieces together, fill a round-tipped pastry tube with icing and add lines of icing to edges of pieces being added or as directed. , Cut graham cracker base piece(s) and sugar wafer axles for each car as directed, then glue sugar wafer axles on edge about 1/2 inch from each short edge., Decorating:. As assembly of each car is completed, decorate cars with icing stars (using smaller star tip to make stars), or cover areas with dots, stars or rows of icing, then press in rows of Red Hots, Cinnamon Sprinkle Decorations or M&M's as shown. If desired, add candy clowns or clown heads to back of engine cab and front and back of caboose., ENGINE (Fig. 1): Base: Cut two 2- x 4-inch graham crackers. Glue these together for a two-layered base. Glue on a 1-1/2-inch wafer axle (front) and a 2-inch wafer axle (back)., Cab: Glue four shortbread cookies on edge for sides and add a 2-1/2-inch-square graham cracker roof., Wheels: Glue a LifeSaver wheel to each end of the front axle. Glue chocolate-covered cookies to the back axle, making sure that the engine sits evenly. Add a LifeSaver to the center of each cookie wheel. For each side, cut a 3-inch piece of licorice and glue from center of front wheel to center of back wheel., Front: Glue four 1-5/8-inch sandwich cookies on edge in front of cab. For "cow-catcher", cut and use one half of one 2-1/8-inch sandwich cookie, gluing at an angle to front of graham, cracker base. Form a smokestack by gluing together four LifeSavers, alternating colors. Glue to top front of engine front. Decorate as directed above., CAGE CAR (Figs. 2 a-c): Base/top: Cut two 2- x 2-1/2-inch graham crackers. Glue two 1-1/2-inch wafer axles onto one 2- x 2-1/2-inch piece. Add LifeSaver wheels to ends of both, axles., Cage: Cut four 1/2- x 2-1/2-inch graham cracker sides and four 1/2- x 1-3/4-inch graham cracker ends. Glue ends of two pretzel sticks (centered 1/2 inch apart) between each set of sides (Fig.), and glue ends of one pretzel stick centered between each set of ends (Fig. 2b). Let icing set thoroughly, about 20 minutes. Add glue to lower and side edges of a cage side and an end and press in place to base with pretzel "bars" to inside. (Side will be along 2-1/2-inch edge of base and end along 2-inch edge.) Quickly press a pretzel into the corner of the cage just formed. Glue an animal cracker to base inside cage. Glue in remaining side and end of the cage, adding a pretzel to all four corners., Top: Use template to cut two cage car top sides and two cage car top ends as follows: Trace the templates for the pieces onto, freezer paper and cut templates out. Place templates on end of crackers and score with knife. Cut out pieces. Add glue along top edge of side and end cage pieces and press remaining 2- x 2-1/2-, inch graham cracker top piece into place. Let icing set., Add glue along bottom and side edges of cage car top sides and ends. Set ends in place between sides on edges of top piece., Decorate as directed above., CABOOSE (Fig. 3): Base/top: Repeat as directed for Cage Car. Let icing set., Lower box: Add two 1-1/4- x 2-inch graham cracker pieces for sides and two 1-1/4- graham cracker pieces for lower, ends. Add remaining 2- x 2-1/2-inch graham cracker for top., Upper box: Glue edges of two 3/4- x 1-3/4-inch graham cracker pieces for upper sides to edges of two 3/4- x 1-1/8-inch graham cracker pieces for upper ends. On top, glue a 1-1/4- x 2-inch graham cracker piece. Glue assembled upper box centered on top of lower box. Decorate as directed above., b>CAKE: Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Grease and flour bottom and sides of jelly roll pan and line the bottom neatly with waxed paper to aid in removal from pan. Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Let cool completely. Place cake in the middle of covered board or cardboard., FROSTING: Cut a piece of freezer paper the same size as the jelly roll pan bottom. Draw a train track onto the shiny side of the freezer paper as shown in Fig. 4a. Cut out the freezer-paper track as a template and position, on cooled cake. , Reserving 1/2 cup of canned vanilla frosting, tint the remaining vanilla frosting with green food coloring. Frost cake up to the, edges of the template. (Don't worry if you frost the edges of the template, this will be removed when the template is lifted.) , Mix 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting with 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting. Lift the template; and frost train track with mixture., Use ribbon tip and chocolate frosting to form railroad ties (Fig. 4b), spacing them about 1-1/4 inches apart on train track. Use round tip to add the rails (spaced about 1-3/4 inches apart) and "Happy Birthday"., Decorate edges of cake if desired with green-tinted frosting and larger star tip.

HOMEMADE MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Spread one side of 4 bread slices with mustard. Top remaining 4 slices with ham. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and mix together; sprinkle mixture evenly over ham and close sandwiches, mustard side down.
• In a shallow dish or bowl combine the eggs, milk and nutmeg and mix well. Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Dip each sandwich in egg mixture, turning to coat. Let excess egg mixture drip into dish or bowl, and place sandwiches in hot skillet. Cook until golden brown and cheese is melted.