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Halloween Haunted Tree Cake Recipe

Details

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Skill Level
Intermediate
Yields
12 servings

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, be sure to try this impressive cake that hits all the right notes!

Ingredients & Directions

Prep Time
50 minutes
Bake Time
30 minutes
Cool Time
10 minutes

BAKE MODE:

Prevent your screen from going dark while you bake.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups
    sugar (500 mL)
  • 1 3/4 cups
    all-purpose flour (425 mL)
  • 3/4 cup
    HERSHEY'S Cocoa (175 mL)
  • 1 1/2 tsps
    baking powder (7 mL)
  • 1 1/2 tsps
    baking soda (7 mL)
  • 1 tsp
    salt (5 mL)
  • 2
    eggs
  • 1 cup
    milk (250 mL)
  • 1/2 cup
    vegetable oil (125 mL)
  • 2 tsps
    vanilla extract (10 mL)
  • 1 cup
    boiling water (250 mL)
  • 2 cans
    vanilla ready-to-spread frosting, red and yellow food colouring
  • 2 tbsps
    HERSHEY'S Cocoa (30 mL)

Directions

Equipment Needed 
oven Oven
round baking pans (2) 9-inch (23 cm) Round Baking Pans
measuring cups Measuring Cups
mixing bowl Mixing Bowl
mixer Mixer
wire rack Wire Rack
piping bag Piping Bag or Food Storage Bag
1

Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch (23-cm) round baking pans.

2

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.

4

Set aside 1/2 cup (125 mL) frosting. Tint remaining frosting to desired shade of orange with red and yellow food colouring.

5

Coarsely chop 1 cup (250 mL) REESE'S Minis Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Candy; set aside. Place first cake layer on serving plate; frost top of layer with about 3/4 cup (175 mL) frosting. Top with chopped REESE'S Minis Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Candy. Add second cake layer; complete frosting cake.

6

Add cocoa to reserved frosting; place in heavy-duty (freezer) resealable food storage bag. Cut off tip of bag about 1/4 inch (5 mm) from one corner. Draw leafless tree and branches onto top of cake by piping chocolate frosting in desired design. Add remaining REESE'S Minis Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Candy as few remaining leaves on tree and as leaves that have already fallen to the ground.