Horse Birthday Cake!

We made another horse birthday cake for my horse-loving daughter again this year.  I put it off last year, but it really wasn't hard at all.  I baked a 9x13 recipe out of a pound cake (using my fave pound cake recipe- just pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan... I also lined the bottom of the pan with wax paper).  Having a firm cake, like a pound cake, is really helpful when making cut and carved cakes like this.  They are very firm and non-crumbly.  Also, the instructions called for freezing the plain cake before cutting, which also helped a ton. 

To see the method for making this cake, go here to the Family Fun site.  I won't really go into details here.  I'll share the "frosting" recipe below, though.  So, like I was saying before, I baked the cake, let it cool for a few hours, and then wrapped it in foil and froze for a few hours.  My husband then cut the cake into a horse shape, using the guide on the link above.  Then I made homemade chocolate frosting, and frosted the cake.  Then, my husband decorated it, putting on the eyes and hair.  It was a team effort!  I'll admit that the black frosting is a tube of black Wilton frosting; piped on with a star tip.  (I did not want to make homemade black frosting using a ton of food coloring).  The nose is black frosting and the eye is an up-side down white candy melting wafer. 

(So, does this cake remind anyone of a famous scene in a movie?  Godfather, perhaps??!  After we were done decorating the cake, we went and took pics of it in our bed and took pics of each other acting out the horse-head discovery scene from the movie... it was hilarious.  (Just me and my husband... not the kids, lol!)  None of us have ever seen the movie, but it was still fun times.  (You can see clips of the famous scene on Youtube... it's really gross though.  Dont' watch it).  Below is a pic of it in bed... no pics of us, sorry.  I don't share personal pics on this blog.  :)  )

Simple Chocolate Frosting

makes enough to frost this cake!  or any 9x13 cake

1 cup salted butter, softened to room temp

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb, I believe)

2/3 cup cocoa powder

milk (3-4 tablespoons; add as needed)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  Using an electric mixer (I used my Kitchenaid... this is a lot of frosting), mix the butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.  Add the vanilla, and then slowly add the milk until the frosting is to your desired consistency- should be thick and creamy, but still spreadable.  May need more milk.  This is really good and tastes like fudge- yum!

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