THE CAKE
Ingredients:
1 cake ~ any flavour
1 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" loaf pan [in other words rectangle shape and flat]
wax paper
25 cents in pennies ~ or you can also add in nickels, dimes and quarters too just try not to put more than about 25 coins in the cake in total
Instructions:
Take the 25 coins and prewash them all thoroughtly then rinse them and dry them well. Wrap each coin individually in wax paper. The wax paper should cover the coin and fold about three times over it with enough at sides to twist a bit to stop from it from opening right up. Make the cake mix according to instructions. Pour the cake mix into the pan then take the coins and place them in the batter in various places throughout the mix and make sure they are covered by the cake mix. A spoon. spatula, or knife will press them under the mix but try not to push them down to the bottom of the pan. Cook the cake according to instructions.
Decorating Ingredients:
1 bowl icing sugar
2 small plain milk chocolate bars or 1 large one
4 red rope licorice
cloverleaf pretzels
foil wrapped coins [chocolate inside] sold in stores - gold or silver or a mix
food colouring
Instructions:
Prepare the icing sugar ~ enough for the cake ~ make it either light or dark orange for the outside of the treasure chest. Keep about 4 tablespoon of icing sugar aside. It doesn't matter if you see some of the coins peeking through the cake as you won't once you cover it with the icing sugar. Put the cake right side up after it has cooled and then flat ice it with the orange icing. Take about 2 tablespoon of the icing sugar that you set aside and make it a darker colour than the rest of the icing on the cake and use it to draw a thin horizontal line all around the middle of the outside sides of the cake i.e. like you are cutting the cake in half from the side view. Try to keep the line as straight as possible and make sure to do all four sides of the cake.
DECORATING THE CAKE
Sides of cake:
Use a cloverleaf pretzel on each side of the cake for handles and one for a lock in the front of the cake. The 'handles' should be on the bottom of the line area and the 'lock' in the middle of the line that you drew. Break the one chocolate bar up into 8 pieces along it's seams but do not break up the rest of the chocolate - leave it whole. Use a knife to make even breaks. Use the pieces of chocolate bar to make 'hinges' at the back of the cake i.e. either 2 or 3 on each side at the back and use two pieces at the front to represent 'hasps'. Make sure the chocolate pieces are centered in the middle of the line that you drew.
Top of cake:
Place the red licorice ropes on the top sides to represent straps. Place one whole small plain chocolate bar upside down on the cake in the middle and use the remaining icing that you set aside [2 tablespoon] and write the child's name on it on the flat side of the chocolate bar.
Sprinkle all the foil wrapped coins [gold or silver or both] all around the outside of the treasure chest cake to make it look like some fell out.
When serving the cake be sure to tell the children at that time to watch out when they bite into the cake as there are some hard surprises inside. Then watch the fun as they begin to discover the treasure chest not only has treats and 'coins' on the outside but more is on the inside. :) The children keep what they get in the cake.
This is rather hard to explain so I drew a very rough diagram to show you what the finished result should look like.
