Name: So-Easy-It’s-Spooky Bat Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 1 devil's food or orange cake mix (regular size); 1 teaspoon orange food coloring, optional; ORANGE FROSTING:; 4-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar; 1 cup butter, softened; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; Orange food coloring; 6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk; CHOCOLATE FROSTING:; 4 cups confectioners' sugar; 2/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted; 1 cup butter, softened; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk; 10 peanut butter cups, finely chopped; Dutch-processed cocoa or confectioners' sugar

This gorgeous dessert starts with a boxed cake mix. Then it’s an easy and magical trick to make the bat silhouette with cocoa. —Crystal Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota

Ingredients

1 devil's food or orange cake mix (regular size)

1 teaspoon orange food coloring, optional

ORANGE FROSTING:

4-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Orange food coloring

6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk

10 peanut butter cups, finely chopped

Dutch-processed cocoa or confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1 Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two 9-in. round baking pans. If preparing orange cake, add orange food coloring. Cool as package directs.

2 For bat design, cut a bat pattern from card stock. Wrap with foil.

3 For devil's food cake, prepare orange frosting by beating confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla, food coloring and enough milk to reach a spreading consistency. For orange cake, prepare chocolate frosting by beating confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, butter, vanilla and enough milk for spreading.

4 Using a long serrated knife, trim tops of cakes if domed. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; sprinkle with chopped candies. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

5 Lay bat pattern on top of cake. Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift Dutch-processed cocoa or confectioners' sugar over frosting. Lift pattern carefully to remove.