Let this hair-raising cake be the star of your next Halloween party. Because she’s made with a convenient cake mix, you’ll have plenty of time to decorate her BOOtifully!
—TASTE OF HOME TEST KITCHEN
PREP: 1 1/4 HOURS • BAKE: 35 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 16-20 SERVINGS
1package yellow cake mix (regular size)
1cup butter, softened
1cup shortening
7 1/2 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4cup milk
3teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8teaspoon salt
Purple and green paste food coloring
ASSORTED CANDIES: Large marshmallow, black raspberry candies, black shoestring licorice, green Jordan almond, red shoestring licorice, red colored sugar, red raspberry candy, green sour gummy stars, candy corn, large black spice gumdrops and black licorice pastels
1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans.
2. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. Place cakes end-to-end on a 22-in. x 8-in. covered board.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in 6 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat in enough of the remaining confectioners’ sugar to reach spreading consistency. Set aside 1/4 cup white frosting for hair. Remove 3 cups frosting; tint purple. Tint remaining frosting green.
4. For bride’s face, frost the top and sides of one cake with green frosting. Frost the second cake with a thin layer of purple frosting. Insert a medium star tip in each of two pastry bags; fill one bag with the remaining purple frosting and the other with the reserved white frosting. Pipe wavy purple hair with streaks of wavy white hair on bride.
5. Decorate the bride, using assorted candies. For eyes, use halved marshmallow, halved black raspberry candy and black shoestring licorice. Add a Jordan almond nose. Make a smiling mouth and dimples using the red shoestring licorice, red colored sugar and halved red raspberry candy.
6. For ears and earrings, insert gummy stars and candy corn into side of cake. Attach the spice gumdrops for bolts. Use the black shoestring licorice and black licorice pastels for the scar. Add a spider made with a black raspberry candy and black shoestring licorice strips.