Chocolate Maypole Cake

This chocolate maypole cake was a special present to my sister for her 44th birthday party.  My whole family goes to Florida for Thanksgiving so I wanted to make a special cake for my sister's birthday.  We were going to have 27 guests including 12 kids so I knew I needed to make something special that the adults and the kids would both enjoy.  This maypole cake design came from Martha Stewart's "Annual Recipes" cookbook from 2002.   I used Martha's creative design for the cake but used a chocolate cake recipe I love from Softasilk cake flour. I did make a few changes to the recipe by cutting the butter in half and adding canola oil.  I also add additional vanilla and removed the almond extract from the recipe.  Have fun decorating this cake with lots of different colored ribbons and sprinkles.  My kids loved decorating their own cupcake and ribbon and I know your kids will too.

Chocolate Maypole Cake:

Pre-heat Oven:350 degrees sea level and 375 degrees  at high altitude
Makes:  2 layer cake and 15 cupcakes

4 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
5 cups Softasilk Cake Flour
2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1%

1.  In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the oil, butter and sugar together for 2 minutes.  Then slowly add the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition.  Add the vanilla, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to the batter.  Alternate the buttermilk and the cake flour to the batter.  Mix for one minute until all the ingredients have been incorporated.

2.  Grease 16 cupcake liners  and two 9" cake pans with cooking spray with flour (like Pam with flour).   Fill the two cake tins 1/2 way up the side with batter.  Fill the cupcake tins or foil cups 3/4 of the way up with batter.  Bake the cakes for 24-27 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.  Bake the cupcakes for 12-15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Allow the cakes and cupcakes to cool on a wire rake for 10 minutes.  Remove the cakes by using a knife and scraping around the edge of the cakes.  Invert the cake onto a plate lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Allow the cake to fully cool before frosting it.

Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups butter (4 sticks), softened
1/2 cup crisco
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
16-18 tablespoons milk (about 1 cup)
15 cups powder sugar

In a mixer with the whip attachment, add the softened butter and crisco and mix for 1 minute on high.  Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla and the unsweetened cocoa powder to the butter.  Alternate adding the powder sugar and milk a little at a time to the frosting.  Mix all the ingredients together on high for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Assembling the Maypole Cake:

Sprinkles in different colors for decorating:  red, yellow, orange, pink

12 colored ribbons for the cake:  pink, yellow and green

1 large 12" high, 1/4" thick, wood dowel, painted green

1 tack or pin

1 sour patch green candy or gumdrop

1.  Find a large clear platter(about 24" wide) for the cake and cupcakes to be displayed on.
2.  Frost the bottom layer of the cake with a thick coat of frosting.  Add the 2nd cake on top of the 1st cake and continue frosting the entire cake.  Decorate with colored sprinkles.
3.  Frost all the cupcakes with frosting and decorate with colored sprinkles (red, orange, pink, yellow)

4.  Poke a whole in the center of the cakes with the painted dowel.
5.  Cut 12 ribbons, 12" long.  Gather the ribbons together and pin/tack them through their center to one end of the dowel.  Gently press the sour patch candy or gumdrop around the tack/pin. Fan the ribbons out around the cake stand.

Chocolate Maypole Cake