Russian Tea Cake

Photo: flickr user foodistablog

Ingredients

6 pkg. of pound cake mix

Red and green food coloring

1 lg. jar raspberry preserves

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 bottle (4 oz.) rum flavoring

1 recipe of white frosting

1 1/2 cups solid white shortening

1 pound confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon rum flavoring

2 tablespoons water or more if needed

Red raspberry preserves, as needed

Preparation

Prepare one package of pound cake according to package directions. Pour batter into a jelly roll pan that has been greased and lined with greased wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until done.

Prepare two more packages of pound cake mix and bake each jelly roll pan in the same manner.

To the fourth mix, add enough red food coloring for a bright red batter. Bake the same as the previous cake. To the fifth cake mix, add green food coloring and bake.

When preparing the sixth pound cake mix, divide the batter in half and make 1 part green and 1 part red. Pour the green batter on 1/2 of the prepared jelly roll pan and the red batter on the other. Bake.

When all cakes have cooled and have been removed from pans, wrap each in aluminum foil and place in freezer.

Meanwhile, make a simple syrup by mixing sugar with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to full boil and boil for 1 minute. Cool.

Working with frozen cakes and a serrated knife, cut one white cake into 1 inch squares. Cut the green cake, the red cake, and the red and green cakes into 1 inch squares also. Place all the squares in a heap in the largest bowl you have!

Mix rum flavoring with 3/4 of the simple syrup. Pour this mixture over the cake squares, turning the squares so everything is moistened.

Remove remaining two cakes from the freezer, they should be the white ones. Sprinkle a clean, dry jelly roll pan with sugar. Place one cake upside down into the pan. Spread with a thin layer of preserves.

Pack the soaked cake squares onto the cake as evenly as possible.

Spread the bottom of the remaining cake with another layer (thin) of preserves. Place this, preserves-side down, on top of the packed squares. Sprinkle sugar on top.

Place a second jelly roll pan on top. Place heavy weights on top of this (a heavy crock or bricks wrapped in a towel) or a 50 pound bag of flour. I find an old crock the handiest to use. Let this stand overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Cream shortening until smooth. Sift in half the sugar. Mix well. Blend rum flavoring and water together. Add to creamed mixture. Sift in remaining sugar and beat until soft and smooth, adding more water, if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add preserves to icing to make a pink color.

Remove weights and top jelly pan from cake. Ice it on top only. Cut 1/2 inch off the edges with a serrated knife. (Dip in hot water for easier cutting.) An that is how to make a Russian Tea Cake.