This impressive Easter Cross Cake adds an elegant touch to your holiday table.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 cup of milk
• 3 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup of margarine
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup fine white sugar
• 2 tsp clear vanilla
• Yellow food coloring

Instructions

Prepare the cake as directed on the package for a 9 x 13 pan. (Any flavor cake mix is suitable.) Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting instructions:

Cook milk and cornstarch over medium heat until thick.

Remove from heat but continue stirring until the mixture is cool.

Combine margarine, shortening and sugar in a bowl.

Beat until creamy (approximately 7 minutes).

Add vanilla and milk mixture.

Beat until the icing resembles whipped cream (about 4 minutes).

Place 1 1/2 cups of icing in a separate bowl and tint with yellow food coloring to desired shade.

Decorating instructions:

Place the cooled cake on a cutting board.

Cut the cake in half lengthwise.

Slice one of the sides in half, resulting in two shorter pieces.

Center the long section of cake on a piece of cardboard.

Frost this section completely with the white icing.

Place the shorter pieces on either side of the center section about a third of the way from the top to form a cross.

Ice the shorter pieces.

Use a pastry bag to pipe the yellow frosting around the top and bottom edges of the cross to form shell borders.

Serves 12.