Uncle Sam's Crispy Treat Cake

Uncle Sam's Crispy Treat Cake

8 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup butter, cubed

12 cups crisp rice cereal

2-1/2 cups shortening

3 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 jars (7 ounces each) marshmallow creme

Red and blue paste food coloring

In a Dutch oven, combine marshmallows and cubed butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in cereal. Press 4 cups into a greased 9-inch round pan. Form remaining mixture into a 5-inch diameter x 6-1/2-inch tall cylinder; place on waxed paper to cool.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat softened butter until fluffy; beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in marshmallow creme until light and fluffy.

Unmold cereal mixture from 9-inch pan and place on a cake plate. Place 3 cups frosting in a small bowl; beat in red food coloring until smooth. Frost top and sides of 9-inch cake with 1 cup red frosting.

Place 1 cup white frosting in a small bowl; beat in blue food coloring until smooth. Frost bottom 2-1/4-inches of the cylinder with blue frosting. Place cylinder on cake. Frost the rest of the cylinder with red frosting.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert basketweave tip. Using white frosting, pipe stripes on side of hat. With a round tip, pipe trim.

Using a 1-1/2-inch star cookie cutter, press a row of stars onto hatband. Fill in stars with white frosting using a round tip.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com