Haunted Castle Cake

Ashley Rider-  Staff Writer

Halloween is in the air! This haunted castle cake is easy to make and a lot of fun for all ages, and would be great for a Halloween party or other fall festivities.

Ingredients:

1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Icing and Assembly:

4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange, black, violet, brown, green and yellow food coloring
Pastry tips: round and basket-weave
Orange Tic Tacs
White pearl dragees
New paintbrush
1 package devil’s food cake mix (regular size)
4 cups buttercream frosting
8 wooden skewers (12 inches)

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine cookie dough and flour. Press into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan lined with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before carefully removing to a cutting board.

2) With a serrated knife cut out castle pieces and tombstones. Set cutouts aside.

3) To make icing: In a large bowl, combine the first three icing ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar. Add water and vanilla. Beat on low speed until blended. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Remove 1/4 cup icing and tint orange. Place a damp cloth over bowl and cover tightly between uses.

4) To decorate: Place all castle pieces on a parchment paper-lined work surface. Insert round tip into a pastry bag; fill with orange icing. On multiple castle pieces design your own door and windows. Press Tic Tacs around all windows.

5) Remove 1/4 cup icing and tint black. Insert round tip into pastry bag; fill with black icing. Outline castle pieces and tombstones in black. Fill in window on one castle piece and door. On parchment paper, pipe 2-1/2-in. bat and cat shapes. Place a damp paper towel over pastry tip, place in a small resealable bag and set aside. Add pearl dragees for cat and bat eyes; add pupils if desired.

6) Insert round tip into pastry bag; fill with 1/4 cup white icing. Carefully pipe white icing “mortar” between Tic Tacs. On parchment paper, pipe 2-in. ghosts. Tint some white icing gray and thin if necessary; fill in tombstones.

7) Remove 3/4 cup reserved icing and tint violet. Insert basket-weave tip into pastry bag; add 1/3 cup of the violet icing. On waxed paper, pipe 12-15 fence sections. (Each section has three strips, about 1 to 1-1/2-in. long.) Set aside 1 tablespoon violet icing for bricks. Thin remaining violet icing with 1-2 teaspoons water. Insert #6 tip into pastry bag; fill with thinned icing. Fill in castle pieces with thinned icing.

8) Tint remaining icing brown. Using round tip, pipe a tree onto parchment paper. Let all pieces dry for 24 hours.

9) With a paintbrush and reserved dark violet icing, add brick designs to castle pieces; let dry.

10) Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Tint buttercream frosting green. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake.

11) To assemble: Just before serving, add each castle piece to the cake and support with skewers.

12) Finishing touches: If desired, add phrases or flowers to the tombstones; arrange on cake. Add faces on the ghosts; attach ghosts and bat with icing. Add the cat, trees and fence. Yield: 1 haunted castle.