Recipe - Merry Christmas Present Cake

NORMA WRENN
1 Recipe marzipan
Red food coloring
1 pack (18 One fourth oz) devil's food
cake mix
1 cup Water
One half cup Vegetable oil
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa
1 cup Mini chocolate chips
2/3 cup Hazelnuts or almonds finely
ground
1 cup Whipping cream
2 tablespoon Butter or margarine
6 ounce Semisweet chocolate coarsely
chopped

Prepare Marzipan, coloring it red as shown in photoG, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9inch pan.

Combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in large bowl. Beat
on low speed of electric mixer until blended; beat at medium speed 2
minutes. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center of
cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan
and cool completely on rack.

Bring cream and butter to a simmer in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add
chopped chocolate, stirring until melted. Cool to room temperature. Cover;
refrigerate until cake is well chilled, about 2 hours.

Divide marzipan into 4 equal parts. Roll 1 part into 1/2inchthick rope.
Place rope between sheets of waxed paper and roll into strip 1inch wide
and 15 to 18 inches long (use sharp knife to make edges straight).

Lay strip lengthwise down center of cake continuing down over sides; trim
ends to fit. Repeat rolling procedure with second piece of marzipan; cut
crosswise in half. Place strips on cake as shown in diagram on page 50;
trim ends.

Repeat rolling procedure with third piece of marzipan, making strip 15
inches long. Fold ends in toward center to make bottom loops of bow as
shown in diagram 2; place on cake as shown. Repeat rolling procedure with
fourth piece of marzipan, making one 8inch strip and one 4inch strip. Cut
8inch strip in half crosswise; fold into 2 loops and place on first loop
as shown in diagram 2. Fold under ends of 4inch strip to form loop; place
as shown in diagram 2.

Source: Favorite Brand Name Recipes: Holiday Food Fun
Posted to MCRecipe Digest by "M. Hicks" nitro_ii@email.msn.com on Feb
16, 1998