MARBLE MAPLE FALLING LEAVES CAKE

By Vanetta

Ingredients

• Cake
• 1 (18.25-ounce) package butter recipe yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
• 1 cup water
• 3 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Eggs
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• Frosting
• 1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• Decorations
• chocolate decorator icing
• sweetened dried cranberries, golden raisins, chopped dried apricots and chopped pecans, as desired
• candy ghosts or owl, if desired

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9-inch cake pan; set aside.

Combine all cake ingredients except melted chocolate in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Place 1 1/2 cups batter into small bowl. Add melted chocolate; stir until well mixed.

Spread remaining batter evenly into prepared pan; drop spoonfuls of chocolate batter over batter in pan. To marble, swirl chocolate batter with table knife. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Place 1/3 cup butter into large microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH (100% power) until melted (20 to 30 seconds). Add brown sugar; continue microwaving on HIGH until sugar is dissolved (30 to 45 seconds). Add all remaining frosting ingredients to butter mixture; beat at low speed until powdered sugar is moistened. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy and smooth. Frost cooled cake.

Use 1/8-inch round or leaf decorating tip to pipe chocolate icing onto cake in tree-shape. Decorate with dried fruit and nuts for leaves. Add candy ghost or owl, if desired. Refrigerate until serving time.