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I always get a little nostalgic around Christmas time. Don’t you? What I love about this time of the year is that for an instant time seize to exist and we get to remember what it was like to be a little kid. One more time.
I’ll spend hours talking to my mom reminiscing about all those times we’ve baked together for Christmas.
When I was little every year my dad made our very own Christmas Tree. Unique and beautiful. My dad never brought a whole tree from the woods, instead he trimmed the branches from several trees so he could build one tree for us. I remember as the time passed by on December 23rd and it was getting darker outside I became restless. I’d go check on him how he was doing, impatiently asking when the tree was going be ready. Then late at night he brought it up from his workshop downstairs. It was magic.Let’s start the Holiday Season with great sweepstakes. Just by voting on your favorite photo you are entered in a drawing to win one of eight brand new Kitchen Aid mixers!
Holiday #BakeInTheFun
To kick off my Christmas baking I’ve decided to bake a Christmas Tree Cake. I’ve had the tree cake pan for years and it was time to put it to good use.
I picked up Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Cake Mix, Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Vanilla Flavored Frosting, M&M’s® White Peppermint candies, M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate and Great Value Milk at my local Walmart. I was able to find everything pretty quickly in the seasonal isle and milk was in the refrigerated dairy section. Also, be sure to print this coupon
to save $1 on ANY TWO(2) M&M’s® Chocolate Candies, 8oz or larger.
Christmas Tree Cake
1/2 of the Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Cake Mix
1 Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Vanilla Flavored Frosting
1/2 cup M&M’s® White Peppermint candies
1/2 cup M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate
1cup Great Value Milk (I used milk instead of water to make the cake batter)
1/2 cup oil
2eggsPreheat oven to 350F.
Butter and flour tree cake pan and set aside.
Use a small food processor to chop up the M&M’s® White Peppermint candies.
In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 of Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Cake Mix, Great Value Milk, oil and eggs. Beat on low until moistened and then increase the speed to medium high and beat for additional 2 minutes. Stir in chopped M&M’s® White Peppermint candies. Pour cake batter into a prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. If you see that the top of the cake is browning too fast, cover the cake with foil dome to prevent excessive browning.
Cake is done once toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Cover your surface with wax paper and then place the cake sitting on a cooling rack on top of it.
To frost the cake you first need to microwave the Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Vanilla Flavored Frosting. Scoop out the frosting into a microwave save dish, melt the frosting slowly, in 5 to 10 seconds increments until it becomes more fluid. Then pour the thinned frosting over the cake. Use a spoon or spatula to move the icing to cover the whole cake. Let the icing drain onto a wax paper.
To decorate the cake use sprinkles form Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Vanilla Flavored Frosting. Sprinkle the whole cake. To make the garland use M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate, alternating green and red candies.
Here is my festive Tree Cake.
You maybe asking why did I use milk instead of water to make the cake batter? Milk is good for you.
Milk is naturally – nutrient – rich with calcium, vitamin D, potassium and it is also a great source of protein. Did you know that milk is needed at your local food bank? There are so many hungry children and families that are missing out on the essential nutrients supplied by milk. Food banks don’t have enough milk to provide for those families in need. You can help by making a small donation to pourmilklove.com or purchase 2 bags of M&M’s® at Walmart (9.4 oz bags or larger) and up to a gallon of milk will be donated to the drive. Join Feeding America in The Great American Milk Drive – delivering a gallon of milk – and all of the essential nutrients,
including protein, that it provides – to a family in need in YOUR local
community.
Be sure to check out more Holiday Recipes here.
