All Aboard! Snickerdoodle Train - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cake
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 cups powdered sugar
4 -6 tablespoons milk
assorted candy
candy sprinkles, for decorating
food coloring
green decorator sugar
black licorice, twist for train track

Preparation

Also Need:
1 large cake, board or 1 piece , sturdy cardboard.
hot glue, gun for gluing train tracks.
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease train pan and dust with flour; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; mix until well blended.
Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and blend on low speed, scraping bowl often.
Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
Carefully spoon batter into pan, dividing evenly among cups.
Top pan firmly on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Spread batter out to top edges of each cup, so batter is lower in the center.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-27 minutes, until toothpick inserted come out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan; invert cakes onto cooling rack and cool completely.
In large bowl, combine vegetable shortening, butter and vanilla.
Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping bowl often.
Add milk, beating on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
Remove 2 1/2 cups frosting and color as desired to decorate train cars.
Decorate with assorted candies.
To make train tracks: cut black licorice twists in half lengthwise.
Using glue gun, pipe glue along cut side of licorice.
Glue licorice to cardboard.
Cotinue with licorice, shaping track as desired.
Color remaining frosting green and spread onto cardboard around train track. Sprinkle with green sugar.
Place decorated tan onto tracks.
Makes 9 cake train cars.