The Purse Cake recipe (see link w/ photo) called for a box mix cake and purchased frosting, but I substituted my own 'from scratch' recipes for both. Here they are:
SILVER WHITE CAKE (Betty Crocker Cookbook)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1-2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening (I use unsalted butter)
1-1/4 cups whole milk
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour rectangular pan. 13x9x2 inches; or 2 round pans--8 or 9 x l-1/2 inches. (I used 2-9” round cake pans that I greased & floured and then lined with parchment paper which I lightly sprayed with PAM.)
Beat all ingredients except egg whites on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes. Beat in egg whites on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan(s).
Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center: rectangle for 40 to 45 minutes or rounds for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost with Cherry¬Nut Frosting (page 77) if desired. 15 servings; 240 calories per serving.
°Do not use self-rising flour in this recipe.
Almond White Cake: Substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla.
Cherry-Nut Cake: Fold 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained, into batter.
Chocolate Chip White Cake: Fold 1/2 cup miniature or finely chopped semisweet chocolate chips into batter.
Hazelnut Cake: Add 1 cup ground hazelnuts with the sugar.
Lemon-filled White Cake: Spread rectangular cake or fill layers with Lemon Filling (page 69) and frost with White Mountain Frosting (page 77). Sprinkle cake with about 1 cup flaked or shredded coconut if desired.
Silver White Cupcakes: Line 30 medium muffin cups. 2-1/2 X 1-1/4 Inches. with paper baking cups. Fill cups about half full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 30 cupcakes.
Silver White Sheet Cake: Grease and flour jelly roll pan. 15-1/2x10-1/2x l-inch. Pour batter into pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
Basic Buttercream Frosting (recipe was given to me in 1990 by Donna Wilson)
1 cup Crisco (can use half Crisco & half unsalted butter)
2-1/2 lbs powdered sugar (about 10 cups)
1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1/4 cup hot liquid
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 teaspoon white vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon white almond flavoring
1/4 cup to 3/4 cup additional cold liquid
I put 1 teaspoon popcorn salt in 1/4 cup hot water as that type salt will dissolve faster. Pour salted liquid into bowl containing shortening, powdered sugar and flavorings. Mix on low speed. Add 1/4 cup cold water and mix in. Beat on high. You may need to add up to 1/2 cup more cold water, but start with just an additional 1/4 cup and mix well. (I have found that using about 3 lbs of Domino pure cane powdered sugar with 1/4 cup salted hot water and 1/2 cup of cold water does a good job.)
NOTES:
1) If using all Crisco and all water, this frosting will keep 6 months in the refrigerator and indefinitely in the freezer. Store in a tightly covered plastic bowl.
2) You may use milk or cream (half & half or whipping) for the liquid, but then the frosting must be refrigerated, and it will not keep as long.
3) If you want a light citrus flavor, substitute 1 teaspoon complement flavoring for the 1 teaspoon almond flavoring. (You can buy complement in any cake decorating supply store.)
4) You will need to add additional powdered sugar for a stiffer frosting if you want to use it to pipe flowers.
5) For the handle on my Purse Cake I used Twizzlers Rainbow Twists. I bought the 'button' candy at a Cracker Barrel restaurant; the 'purse clasp' jellied ring candy and the banana-shaped candies for the flowers & purse trim came from an Inside Scoop candies & gifts store in Indianapolis, IN.
6) After 'gluing' the 2 cake layer pieces together with frosting and standing 'the purse' on top of a bit of frosting atop a cake plate, I spaced 3 toothpicks through the top 2 layers along the cake's edge before freezing and frosting the outside to make sure the layers didn't pull apart. I disinfected a pair of surgeon's forcepts and a long pair of tweezers to use for placing the button and banana-shaped candies. I used a long strip of dental floss to make straight lines to follow before placing the 2 rows of green trim along the narrow edge of the 'purse'.
7) The cake went together easily and looked super when finished. The nerve-racking part came when delivering it to a catering customer for fear the thing would topple over while en route, but it stayed upright, thank goodness!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/purse-cake/2f4b6fe4-f326-475c-9578-0063b5f880c3
SILVER WHITE CAKE (Betty Crocker Cookbook)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1-2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening (I use unsalted butter)
1-1/4 cups whole milk
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour rectangular pan. 13x9x2 inches; or 2 round pans--8 or 9 x l-1/2 inches. (I used 2-9” round cake pans that I greased & floured and then lined with parchment paper which I lightly sprayed with PAM.)
Beat all ingredients except egg whites on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes. Beat in egg whites on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan(s).
Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center: rectangle for 40 to 45 minutes or rounds for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost with Cherry¬Nut Frosting (page 77) if desired. 15 servings; 240 calories per serving.
°Do not use self-rising flour in this recipe.
Almond White Cake: Substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla.
Cherry-Nut Cake: Fold 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained, into batter.
Chocolate Chip White Cake: Fold 1/2 cup miniature or finely chopped semisweet chocolate chips into batter.
Hazelnut Cake: Add 1 cup ground hazelnuts with the sugar.
Lemon-filled White Cake: Spread rectangular cake or fill layers with Lemon Filling (page 69) and frost with White Mountain Frosting (page 77). Sprinkle cake with about 1 cup flaked or shredded coconut if desired.
Silver White Cupcakes: Line 30 medium muffin cups. 2-1/2 X 1-1/4 Inches. with paper baking cups. Fill cups about half full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 30 cupcakes.
Silver White Sheet Cake: Grease and flour jelly roll pan. 15-1/2x10-1/2x l-inch. Pour batter into pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
Basic Buttercream Frosting (recipe was given to me in 1990 by Donna Wilson)
1 cup Crisco (can use half Crisco & half unsalted butter)
2-1/2 lbs powdered sugar (about 10 cups)
1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1/4 cup hot liquid
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 teaspoon white vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon white almond flavoring
1/4 cup to 3/4 cup additional cold liquid
I put 1 teaspoon popcorn salt in 1/4 cup hot water as that type salt will dissolve faster. Pour salted liquid into bowl containing shortening, powdered sugar and flavorings. Mix on low speed. Add 1/4 cup cold water and mix in. Beat on high. You may need to add up to 1/2 cup more cold water, but start with just an additional 1/4 cup and mix well. (I have found that using about 3 lbs of Domino pure cane powdered sugar with 1/4 cup salted hot water and 1/2 cup of cold water does a good job.)
NOTES:
1) If using all Crisco and all water, this frosting will keep 6 months in the refrigerator and indefinitely in the freezer. Store in a tightly covered plastic bowl.
2) You may use milk or cream (half & half or whipping) for the liquid, but then the frosting must be refrigerated, and it will not keep as long.
3) If you want a light citrus flavor, substitute 1 teaspoon complement flavoring for the 1 teaspoon almond flavoring. (You can buy complement in any cake decorating supply store.)
4) You will need to add additional powdered sugar for a stiffer frosting if you want to use it to pipe flowers.
5) For the handle on my Purse Cake I used Twizzlers Rainbow Twists. I bought the 'button' candy at a Cracker Barrel restaurant; the 'purse clasp' jellied ring candy and the banana-shaped candies for the flowers & purse trim came from an Inside Scoop candies & gifts store in Indianapolis, IN.
6) After 'gluing' the 2 cake layer pieces together with frosting and standing 'the purse' on top of a bit of frosting atop a cake plate, I spaced 3 toothpicks through the top 2 layers along the cake's edge before freezing and frosting the outside to make sure the layers didn't pull apart. I disinfected a pair of surgeon's forcepts and a long pair of tweezers to use for placing the button and banana-shaped candies. I used a long strip of dental floss to make straight lines to follow before placing the 2 rows of green trim along the narrow edge of the 'purse'.
7) The cake went together easily and looked super when finished. The nerve-racking part came when delivering it to a catering customer for fear the thing would topple over while en route, but it stayed upright, thank goodness!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/purse-cake/2f4b6fe4-f326-475c-9578-0063b5f880c3