Thursday, October 16, 2014

Whodunnit Halloween Cake!

A whodunnit mystery cake!
Get into the spirit and take a stab at doing this easy Halloween inspired cake!

INGREDIENTS
chocolate box cake mix
powdered confectioner's sugar
white store bought frosting
red and yellow food coloring
white fondant (find this at your local cake or craft supply store)
crisco
TOOLS
half 'ball' or sphere cake mold (I found mine on Amazon.com)
plastic knife from your local Halloween store
rolling pin
fondant smoothing tool
rolling mat with measurements
2" orange ribbon, about 24" long
2-3 pins to hold the ribbon
small and medium mixing bowls
round 9" cake board
frosting spatula
rubber spatula
kitchen butter knife
cake stand

Bake chocolate cake per cake box instrucions. When cake has cooled cut a bottom 1" layer for the base. Place the cake base onto the 9"round cake boad. This will help you transfer the cake to the cake pedestal later.
After you have cut the 1" base layer, carefully cut out a small round dome.
Scoop the white frosting into a mixing bowl and add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring until you get the desired shade of orange.  Frost the top of the cake base. 
Place the mini 'half dome' on top of the base layer and cover with frosting too.  
Add the larger 'dome' cake piece over the frosted layers. 
Add a thin layer of the orange frosting over the larger 'dome'. The frosting will act as the glue when the rolled fondant is placed over the cake.  Set the cake aside.
On a smooth clean surface sprinkle powdered sugar over the rolling matt with measurements. 
Carefully roll out the fondant using the rolling pin.  Roll from center towards out.
Roll to a smooth 10" round flat shape. The fondant should be an even 1/4" thick all around. 
Carefully and with lots of patience place your flat fondant over the frosted cake. Try not to tear the fondant as it tends to dry out. If it begins to dry out rub a small amount of Crisco into your hands and carefully smooth the tear out with your fingers.
Smooth out the fondant with your fingers or a fondant smoothing tool so it covers all the cake. Then with the butter knife carefully cut the edges to leave a clean edge.
Transfer the cake to your cake pedestal or cake plate. Wrap the orange ribbon around the cake and secure with pins by pinning against the cake. 

To make the blood. Place 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar into a small mixing bowl and with a few drops of red and a very few drops of water mix all until you get the desired color of blood and thickness consistency. Test the consistency on something else before you drizzle over cake. 
Take the toy knife and stab the cake, carefully. Drizzle strategically the 'blood' over stabbed area. 
Happy Halloween...now eat some bloody cake!