the famous cream cheese icing

one stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)
8 oz plain cream cheese (softened)
some powdered sugar (sifted)
vanilla extract
(optional decorations, marzipan and food coloring)

i think i usually double this, i can't remember.  just to be sure, i'd
double it if this is the first time you are making this cake.  can
never have too much of this stuff anyway.

1. cream the butter and the cream cheese together. (a wooden spoon
   works just fine.)

2. add the powdered sugar a little at a time until the icing is of the
   right consistancy.

3. add the vanilla to taste (generally not very much.)

4. (optional) make little carrots with green tops from the marzipan
   and food coloring.  since you probably won't even attempt this
   unless you are already familiar with working with marzipan, i'm
   just gonna leave these instructions as they are.


to put it all together!

you need:
a long serrated knife
an icing knife (or a large butter knife or big spoon)
a nice serving plate for the finished cake

1. the cake MUST be cooled completely.

2. cut the cake in half shortways, so you have 2 squares.
    these will be two layers.  one layer will have to be trimmed so
    that it makes a flat surface for the other layer.  

3. fit the two halves together with icing inbetween the layers.

4. begin with the crumbing.  (i don't know what you really call this)
   take a small amount of icing and put it into a separate small bowl.
   apply a THIN layer of this icing to the whole cake.  the point is
   to seal in the crumbs so they don't mess up your final
   presentation.  you will get crumbs in this icing, and in the little bowl.

5. now apply a nice smooth beautiful layer of the non-crummy icing all around.

6. if you are really a freak like i am, you will now have about 12
   little marzipan carrots.  just before presentation i usually put a
   few in a bunch in the center and spread the rest out randomly
   around the top of the cake.  careful, cause they do melt into the
   cake if you leave the cake out for several hours at room
   temperature.