Hanuman Carob Cake by Vishnupriya Devi dasi

Hanuman cake:

• 1 round carob cake
• 1 small carob cupcake
• Carob icing
• Fondant

Cake and muffins:
(double the recipe for twelve muffins and a 9" round cake)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3.../4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup carob powder

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375F, about 5 minutes.
2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and oil the round-cake tray.
2. Combine dry ingredients with the softened butter, add wet mixture (water,milk and vanilla) and stir just until blended.
4. Divide batter in two parts equally. One part will be divided into 12 muffin cups, the other will be the batter for the round cake. Bake until golden and tester comes out clean, about 30- 35 minutes.

Carob icing ingredients and process:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup dry milk
1/4 cup carob powder
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all the ingredients.

Fondant ingredients and process:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. butter or shortening
1 tbsp. milk or water
4 drops of yellow coloring

Mix all ingredients together until very firm, then roll the fondant out on wax paper.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
Step 1. Place cake on the plate in which you are going to decorate it.  Ice the carob cake with carob icing.  Take one small carob cupcake and split into two using a knife. The other muffins you can take them on breakfast :). Place on either side of the cake for the monkey ears.  Ice with carob icing as “glue” to hold against the side of the cake and ice the top of the cupcakes.

Step 2. Take a ball of a size of a golf ball of fondant. Roll out with a rolling pin between two wax paper sheets. Trace onto wax paper the Hanuman's face.  Cut out the parchment monkey face and place onto your fondant. Do the same for the ears and tilak. Use a toothpick to trace the shape and then use table knife to cut the face out of the fondant.

Step 3. Place the face onto the carob icing.  Do the same with the ears.

Notes:

1. I modified the idea of the cake from this website:  http://www.toppartyideas.com/mod-monkey-cake/

2. The fondant recipe is a modification of the one found in the link below.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,236,153178-233200,00.html