Beltane Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 1. In sauce pan heat butter and water until melted. remove from heat and let cool. Mix in remaining ingredients. Mix to a dough-like consistancy. Pat the dough into a circle, about 8 in. on an ungreased baking sheet. bake 3:50` for about 40 min.
• 2. Or you can bake them into snaller cakes. My dog loves these as do the squirrels.

Steps:

• Have all ingredients at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a large bundt pan.
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave then set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl mix milk, brandy, vanilla extract, ginger and damiana extract.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter.
• Add the brown sugar to the butter and beat until fluffy.
• Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture.
• When the chocolate has cooled to body temperature, mix it into the butter mixture.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture in small amounts at a time.
• Bake for 2 hours, or until done (knife test).
• Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan.
• Allow the cake to cool fully, then invert it into a bowl that is just large enough to hold it, but no larger.
• Pierce the cake bottom (now on top) in several (8-10) places with a skewer, being careful not to go all the way through.
• Pour about 1/5th of the amaretto over the cake. When it has all been absorbed, add another 1/5th of the amaretto. Continue until all of the amaretto has been absorbed by the cake. This will take at least several hours. Keep the bowl covered during this time.
• When all of the amaretto has been absorbed, gently invert the cake onto a plate. The cake is soaked with amaretto, thus every bump or brush will leave a scar, so treat it delicately.
• Dust the cake with cocoa powder until there is a layer of dry powder (the first applications will soak up moisture).
• Keep the cake covered until serving. It will get better if you wait 8-24 hours, but can be eaten immediately.
• This cake is very rich and intensely flavorful, so serve small slices. Also, you might want to let guests know that it contains a fair amount of alcohol.

Steps:

• Just bake your favorite cupcake and use your favorite frosting. I made the MayPoles using Pirouette cookies and ribbon. I attached the ribbon underneath the top of the MayPole using a dab of left over Royal Icing but you could use Karo Syrup. The top of the MayPole is a flavored tootsie roll, but you could just as easily use a piece of fondant or spiced gum drop.