Candy Cane Cake

I made this for gourmet class in college. The assignment was to make something "stunning but simple". This was so much fun! I used mini candy canes and red sugar sprinkle for the decoration on white frosting. What a beautiful cake it turned out to be! I'm sure if you didn't want to use peppermints, you could use any kind ofhard candy - spearmints, butterscotch, or cinnamon discs. The candy needs to soak overnight, as reflected in the passive time.

• Ready In: 9 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 36  peppermint candies
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cup milk
• 3  cups self-rising flour
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup shortening (I prefer Crisco)
• 4  egg whites

Directions

1. Soak the candies in the milk overnight.
2. When candies are dissolved, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2-9" cake pans.
3. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, mixing well, but not overbeating.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert to a wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with vanilla icing and decorate with mini candy canes.