Witch Bundt Cake

Sweet smiles are guaranteed when you serve up this Halloween-special treat that really takes the cake.

Ingredients

Decorations

• ⅓ cup black fondant
• ⅛ tsp. tylose powder
• 2 Tbs. red fondant
• 1 (12 oz.) pkg. bright white candy melts, 2 cups
• Violet and black oil-base candy coloring
• 10 pretzel dipping sticks
• Stars sprinkles
• ½ cup black candy melts, melted
• Light corn syrup
• Black and red edible glitters

Cake

• 1 box (16.5 oz.) white cake mi
• 1¼ cups buttermilk
• ⅓ cup oil
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• Orange concentrated food coloring
• Neon green liquid food coloring

Frosting

• 1½ cups butter, at room temp.
• 4½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbs. milk
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• Jumbo confetti sprinkles

Instructions

Decorations

1. Create a witch’s hat template that is 2½” tall and 3” at the brim. Line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Reserve 2 Tbs. black fondant. Knead tylose powder into remaining black fondant. Between two sheets of wax paper, roll out to ¹⁄₁₆” thickness. Using template as guide, cut out hats from fondant. Transfer to baking sheet. Dry overnight. 
2. For each shoe, roll 1 tsp. fondant into ball. Form into teardrop shape. Press indentation into thicker end to later attach leg. For heel, using dull side of knife, make notch on side of each shoe opposite from leg indentation. Press each shoe to shape toe end into point. Transfer to baking sheet. Let dry overnight; reserve.
3. Line another baking sheet with wax paper. Divide white candy melts between two tall microwave-safe containers; microwave according to package directions to melt. Tint one container violet with candy coloring. Reserve 1 Tbs. of each color. Dip pretzels, one at a time, into remaining white and violet candy, leaving ½” end of pretzel un-dipped, and letting excess drip off. Transfer to lined baking sheet. For star decorations, attach sprinkles while candy is still wet. Re-melt candy as necessary. To decorate with black stripes, let pretzels dry completely. For dark black stripes, tint black candy melts with black candy color. Transfer to disposable pastry bag; snip tip. Pipe lines on pretzels; dry.

Cake

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Coat 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. On low speed, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil, egg whites and extract until combined, 30 sec. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 min.
2. Divide batter in half. Stir 1 tsp. orange coloring into one half and 50 drops neon green coloring into remaining batter. Spoon orange batter in pan; top with green batter. Using spoon, fold in to swirl batter lightly. Bake until toothpick inserted 1” from center comes out clean 60-70 min. Cool 30 min. Invert cake onto rack; remove pan. Cool completely.
3. Working with one at a time, brush hats and shoes lightly with corn syrup then sprinkle hats and black shoes with black edible glitter, and red shoes with red edible glitter. Re-melt reserved candy melts. Dip ends of pretzels into candy; insert into shoes. Transfer to wax paper. Chill until set, 10 min.

Frosting

1. On medium-high, beat butter until fluffy. On low, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, then milk and vanilla. On medium-high, beat until fluffy, 3-4 min. Transfer ¾ cup frosting to each of 2 separate bowls.
2. Tint one bowl violet and other bowl orange with food colorings. Transfer 2 Tbs. orange frosting to plastic sandwich bag; snip small hole in one corner. Pipe lines on hats. Transfer remaining orange and violet frostings to separate pastry bags each fitted with medium star tip.
3. Tint remaining white frosting neon green with food coloring. Spread over cake. Pipe 2½” rounds of purple or orange frosting on cake. Pipe slightly smaller round of alternating color of frosting on top of each 2½” round. Press legs into center of frosting rounds. Decorate with hats and jumbo confetti.