Easter Garden Peep Cake

Cake:

2 sticks Margarine (cubed) 1 cup Water 4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder 2 cups All-Purpose Flour 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda ½ teaspoon Salt 2 cups Sugar 2 large Eggs (beaten) ½ cup Milk 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Cooking Spray Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, then set aside. In a 3 quart pot and over medium heat, bring the margarine, water and cocoa powder to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, then pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake on the 3rd (middle) rack for around 39 to 44 minutes or until a fork comes out clean in the center.

Make the frosting.

Frosting:

1 stick Margarine (cubed) 6 Tablespoons Milk 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 4 cups Powdered Sugar (sifted) In a large heavy pot and over medium heat, bring the margarine, milk and cocoa powder to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Decorate your garden.

Decorations:

1 (16-ounce) container Green Frosting 5 Chocolate filled Oreos (crushed) 1 Tube Orange Decorating Icing Colorful Peeps Candy Eggs Using a pastry bag with a star tip, pipe green rows. Spread the crushed Oreos in the center of the rows for dirt. Make small circles with the orange icing, then pipe a stem to look like carrots. Add the peeps and candy eggs.

Kid Friendly Recipes from the Kitchen of Azure Rountree is available at The Advance. A portion of the proceeds from every book sold will go to benefit children with special needs.