Easy Candy Cane Cake
Cake
1 box white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
1/2 teaspoon red food color
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
White Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, if desired
Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Into small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.
Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.
Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan.
Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.
In small bowl, mix icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy. Store loosely covered.
Makes 12 servings