The Candy Train

by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor Spirited Table®  - Recipe excerpt from Cakes for Kids by Juliette Lalbaltry. Cakes for Kids by Juliette Lalbaltry. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

For 6 to 8 kids - Preparation: 10 minutes - Baking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

7 ounces dark chocolate 

1/2 cup unsalted butter + more for the pan 

4 eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar 

3 /4 cup all-purpose flour + more for the pan 

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt 

To Decorate

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread 

10 Pépito Mini-Rollos or thumbprint cookies 

1 bag M&M’s 

1 rectangular shortbread cookie (such as Petit Beurre) 

1 box Mikado or Pocky cookies

Large pink marshmallows 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Break the chocolate into pieces, cut the butter into cubes, then transfer both ingredients to a measuring cup. Melt in the microwave. 

2. Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. 

3. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is light in color. Add the melted chocolate mixture then mix well to incorporate. Sift the flour and baking powder together then whisk into the wet ingredients. 

4. Add the salt to the bowl with the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. 

5. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan then pour the cake batter into the pan. 

6. Bake for 35 minutes. Keep baking for a few minutes if the cake isn’t done. Let the cake cool to room temperature before removing it from the pan. 

7. Cut the cake crosswise into 3 equal parts. Cut a slice about 1 inch thick from the first piece of cake then place the slice on top of the cut piece of cake to form the cabin of the locomotive. Spread the three cars all over with chocolate-hazelnut spread. 

8. Attach 2 thumbprint cookies on either side of the locomotive, and 4 more on each of the two cars to make the wheels. 

9. Decorate the front of the train with M&M’s of various colors and set the shortbread cookie on top of the locomotive to create a roof. 

10. Stick Mikado cookies into the tops of the two cars around the edges to create cages then fill them with pink marshmallows. Strengthen the cages with colored string to make the train even more beautiful!