This is NO fail! Comes out of the pan with a nice firm 'crust' that is so easy to decorate! 1pkg plain white/yellow cake mix 1pkg non-instant vanilla pudding mix (not mixed) 1 envelope Dream Whip topping mix 3 large eggs 1C water 1/4C vegetable oil Preheat oven to 350, grease two 9" round pans (at leats 1 1/2" deep) with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Place all ingredients into electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 4 minutes longer or until well combined and the volume has increased. Pour batter into plans and tap on counter to raise any bubbles in the batter, bake until deeply browned, about 30-50 minutes depending on your oven. Remove and place on rack to cool 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knift and invert onto a rack once, then again so that the layers cool right side up. If the tops are too curved, place a clean tea-towel on the top and with your hands, gently press down so that you have flatter, more even layers. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting. Wedding cake frosting 2lb confectioner's sugar 1 envelope Dream Whip Beat those until creamy Add: 1tbsp white corn syrup 2tsp white vanilla extract (I divide 1tsp ea, vanilla and almond) Slowly add 1/2C water Beat until fluffy. Don't forget to use a 'crumb' coating before frosting, or an apricot glaze. I hope you enjoy these! For the cake, you can also substitute pink champagne, other fruit juices for the water! As far as Wilton products go, most are fine, although I MUCH prefer using the clear plastic disposable bags for decorating! No clean-up!

Molasses and Sorghum - What is the difference? The sorghum plant, which is a type of grass, was introduced into the United States from Africa in the early part of the 17th century. Sorghum syrup is a natural sweetener made by processing the juice that is extracted from the sorghum plant. Special milling equipment extracts the juice from the crushed stalks, and evaporating pans with heating units steam off the excess water leaving syrup. Sorghum syrup is produced primarily in the United States and is used as a substitute for sugar. It tends to have a thinner consistency and a slightly more sour taste than does molasses. Sorghum contains vitamins and minerals and is a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin and omega 6 fatty acids. Molasses was also introduced to the United States during the 17th century when traders started transporting it from the Caribbean to New England where much of it was made into rum. Molasses was the most popular sweetener until the late 19th century because it was more affordable than sugar. Molasses is the by-product of processing sugar cane into sugar. The sugar cane plant is stripped of its leaves and the juice is extracted from the cane by crushing or mashing. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, which produces crystallization of the sugar. The result of the first boiling and removal of the sugar crystals is called "first molasses" (mild) and is the sweetest tasting. "Second molasses" (dark) is created from a second boiling and removal of sugar crystals. "Blackstrap" is the result of a third boiling of the syrup. The darker molasses is considered bittersweet. Sulfured molasses is made from young sugar cane - sulfur dioxide is added as a preservative. Unsulfured molasses is made from mature sugar cane which does not require a preservative. Molasses contains significant amounts of vitamins and minerals and is a good source of calcium, magnesiumSor, potassium and iron. Sorghum and molasses may be stored on the shelf for up to 2 years. Once they are opened, they can be stored up to a year, if properly stored in the refrigerator to retard mold growth. If mold growth does appear, the syrups should be discarded. If the syrups crystallize, it does not cause any harm and the syrups can be liquefied by placing them in a larger container of hot water until melted. Sorghum and molasses are old-fashioned sweeteners - many people have grown up using them. Molasses is the sweetener generally preferred for cooking and baking, while sorghum is popular as a syrup. I did not know the difference, but I looked this up online. I always liked sorghum molasses better as it seems more mild. Sue

So, Dcarch's idea sounds intriguing. It sounds very secure, but I don't know how to do it without compromising the integrity of this very delicate cake. There's marzipan covering it, but that's all that holds it together. Earthquake putty would definately hold the bard in place. Good idea! I'll try the rubber/silicone first just so they can remove it from the carrier. I wonder if glue dots would be the thing. Like the quake wax, but a long knife could separate them. I tried reading pro's comments on message boards, but they're very laissez faire about it. A few try to cool down their vehicles first, bit most toss the cake in and go, and say the a/c is for their own comfort and yeah, sometimes the cakes sweat. There's a new kind of carrier for tall tiered cakes that has a snap together tall box with insulated cover, like what they use for food delivery. It's too tall and too expensive, and I think it might look reassuring to the clients more than spomething special. Luckily my friend doesn't need a fancy presentation disply, so the cardboard carton outside is fine. Or we could put my medium ice chest on its tummy and slide the cake and ice blocks in. That would be more fuss, but could work well. It's particularly well insulated for a standard cooler. I'll have to do some more experiments... i have time.

I really like 'cake' gingerbread, and I make gingerbread cookies for the holidays every year. I use a recipe from an old cookbook my mom got in the 50s called 'Cooking For Christmas'. Everything is stirred together in 1 bowl, easy peasy. I often use part honey or maple syrup, since I prefer organic and the only organic molasses I can find is very dark - too dark to use all by itself. I like to use fresh grated ginger too. I think it has a lot more flavor than the powdered kind. The cookies come out pretty crisp, but once they're iced, they get softer. I need to get my cooky doughs made, actually, but I've been holding off because I have a cold and don't want to spread the joy. Here's the recipe: Gingerbread Men from 'Cooking for Christmas', 1950 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. shortening (butter) 1 unbeaten egg 3/4 c. molasses (1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup molasses) 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ginger (1 Tbs. finely grated fresh) 2 tsp. vinegar 3-3 1/2 c. flour Combine all the ingredients except the flour & stir until thoroughly mixed. Add enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Divide into 2-3 parts to make rolling out easier. Wrap in waxed paper & chill in the refrigerator overnight. Roll out quite thin & cut into shapes. Bake on parchment @ 375F - 8-10 minutes. Decorate as desired. I make a white icing with cream and powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla, and pipe thin lines to decorate, rather than a solid layer over the whole cooky. Or I simply sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking. I've never built anything out of gingerbread, but I imagine this recipe would work, since the results are very sturdy. Ann Reardon has some good tutorials for building gingerbread. She uses melted white chocolate instead of royal icing to stick things together, IIRC.