Cake:
2/3 cup butter, softened
1-2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 (1 oz.) bottle liquid red food coloring
2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup + 2 Tblsp. buttermilk
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 Tblsp. vanilla extract
Icing:
3 oz. white baking chocolate
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, chilled & cut into small pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups sifted 10x sugar
Decorations:
3 oz. white baking chocolate
1 egg white
fresh cranberries
red decorating sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8" round cake pans and line bottoms with waxed paper.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks and food coloring; beat until well
blended. In a medium bowl combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl combine buttermilk and vinegar.
Alternately beat dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture into creamed mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans
and cool completely on wire racks.
Microwave white chocolate in a microwave-safe dish on medium-high (80%) power for
1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until chocolate softens, stirring after each minute. Stir until
melted. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add melted
chocolate and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in 10x sugar until well blended.
Spread icing between layers and over top and sides of cake. Place in an airtight container and store
in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Melt white chocolate and pour into a 2-1/2x4" loaf pan. Chill just until firm. Remove from pan.
Using vegetable peeler pull across surface to form curls; chill.
To sugar cranberries beat egg white in a small bowl. Dip cranberries into egg white and place on
wire rack. Sprinkle red decorating sugar over wet cranberries; allow to dry.
Garnish cake with chocolate curls and sugared cranberries.
