Spaghetti and Meatball Cake

CAKE

Make your favorite cake; we use chocolate. Bake in a 13×9 pan. Let cool in pan 30 mins on rack. Remove from pan and let cool for at least another 30 mins on rack. With a thin serrated knife, trim cake to fit platter, cut off edges and corners, cutting downward on diagonal to make over mound. Remove cake pieces; brush crumbs off. Then invert cake on to oval serving platter with a flat surface. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 1/2 C. softened butter
2 1-lb. boxes of conf. sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk
8 drops yellow food coloring
1/4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa

In a lg. bowl, beat butter until creamy. On low, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk. Add food coloring and cocoa, beat until color resembles cooked spaghetti. Using metal spatula, spread 2 C. frosting in thin even coat over cake.

SPAGHETTI

Remaining frosting from above

Fill 16″ pastry bag half full with some of the remaining frosting and fit with #5 plain tip. Beginning at bottom edge of cake, pipe spaghetti strands around sides, looping and overlapping on already piped strands, and working upwards. Use up frosting and fill up bag half full as needed. Continue piping so strands are densely piped around sides; extend those near top slightly higher than top edge, creating a well.

CHOCOLATE MEATBALLS

4-oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 C. conf. sugar
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 C. finely chopped walnuts

In med. bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Beat in vanilla and salt. On low, gradually beat in sugar, then chocolate. Stir in nuts. Using 1 3/4″ ice cream scoop, scoop mixture to form about 23 balls. Cover and refrigerate. Can be made 2 days in advance.

SAUCE AND PARMESAN

2 sm. jars low-sugar strawberry preserves
white chocolate

In a small sauce pan, heat preserves over low heat, stirring until just barely warm and pourable. Transfer 1/2 C. sauce to pie dish. Pour remaining sauce into well on top of cake; spread to fill well, letting drips of sauce come over top edge of spaghetti. Put meatballs, a few at a time in sauce in pie dish; roll to coat. Transfer to sauce on top of cake. Repeat with remaining meatballs. Brush remaining sauce over any uncoated meatballs.

Cheese: using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate over top if desired.

Recipe by Peggy