In honor of the traditional Cake Walk that occurs during one or two Halloween Carnivals this time of year, I wanted to donate a cake for those kids who enjoy both the spooky and sweet part of this holiday. I had a lot of fun creating this cake. I basically took a photo of a Tarantula and went to work. I admit, it still looks animated more than realistic but hey, it was my first try. My nephew actually thought I was creating one of the spiders that is on the game Mind Craft, but I needed to put a few more red eyes. This was all for fun really, so I thought I would tell you all how I did it.
Hope you enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
You can use any cake recipe you'd like and make it in a bunt pan. I like to use this quick and easy recipe that I got from my friend Stephanie Ashcraft, who is the author of
"101 things to do with a Cake Mix":
Death By Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sour Cream (I like to use all natural whole)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of oil (I use light Olive Oil or Canola)
1 chocolate cake mix (It works with Gluten-Free also)
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding ( I like to use Trader Joe's Instant Chocolate Pudding)
1 cup of chocolate chips (it recommends semisweet but, I went with milk chocolate this time)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven @ 350 degrees
Beat sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together in large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Stir in chocolate chips.For a bunt cake:
Place batter in a greased and floured bunt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a fork inserted into cake comes out clean.
While the cake is cooling, start the rice crispy mix. You can make this anyway you'd like. I like to do mine on the stove top. For the this way of making rice crispy mix, click here.
Because I was taking this to a party, I folded some aluminum foil over a sturdy piece of cardboard for my cake plate.
After the cake cools, dig out the middle so that you have enough to fill it with a ball of rice crispy mix.
Make another ball for the head. To support the head, I used a bamboo skewer.
After the cake cools, dig out the middle so that you have enough to fill it with a ball of rice crispy mix.
Make another ball for the head. To support the head, I used a bamboo skewer.
I'd like to say that you could use any kind of frosting, but I have come across recipes that are meant for cookies rather than cakes because they are not as strong. So, if it is a cake-like frosting, you are in business.
I used the Better Homes and Garden Frosting listed below for the frosting:
For the details on the tarantula, I took Hot Jaw Breakers for eyes and candy corns to look like fangs. The finished result (in the photo at the top of this post) I added some molded pedipalps out of the black frosting to surround the fangs.
Finally, I sprinkled some black sprinkles to resemble a harrier specimen. I should have done that to the legs as well.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
I used the Better Homes and Garden Frosting listed below for the frosting:
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening (I normally don't use Shortening, but in my experience, it is easy to work with when molding)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (Use clear Vanilla for a whiter frosting)
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
3 - 4 tablespoons milk
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl beat shortening, vanilla, and extract with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar, beating well. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar and enough remaining milk to reach spreading consistency. Makes about 3 cups.
- I frosted the rice crispy mix first with my fingers that were wet with water. That way I could mold the frosting all over while creating a body for my tarantula. Yes, the body of the tarantula looks yellow compared to the frosting on the cake. I had some leftover butter cream frosting I used in this photo.
- Then, I frosted the cake with the white frosting.
- Next, I created the tarantula's black body by adding a few drops of black food coloring* to the rest of the icing, along with a half case of crushed Oreo crumbs.This created a lumpy texture to the frosting. With wet fingers again, I molded the black lumpy clay-like frosting all over the body and molded legs by rolling them out and pressing them into the body and white frosting to attach them.
For the details on the tarantula, I took Hot Jaw Breakers for eyes and candy corns to look like fangs. The finished result (in the photo at the top of this post) I added some molded pedipalps out of the black frosting to surround the fangs.
Finally, I sprinkled some black sprinkles to resemble a harrier specimen. I should have done that to the legs as well.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
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