This cake or cupcakes are perfect for kids halloween parties and make a great presentation for classroom parties as well.

Graveyard Cake Ingredients


1 (18 1/4 oz.) package Devil's Food Cake Mix

9 x 12 inch Baking Pan

10 ozs. Chocolate Filled Cookies (Oreos), crushed or Gingersnaps

6-10 Oval shaped Butter Cookies (Pepperidge Farm Milanos)

1 can prepared Vanilla Frosting

Assorted tubes of Cake Decorating Gel in Halloween colors
(orange, yellow, brown, etc.)

1 cup Candy Corn or Pumpkin Shaped Candies

1/4 cup Colored Sprinkles or Colored Crystal Sugar in harvest colors
(orange, yellow, brown, etc.)

Ghost shaped marshmallows (Halloween version of Easter peeps)


Click here to view a photo of the finished Graveyard Cake.



Method:

Bake cake according to package directions or recipe. Let cool completely.

Spread frosting evenly over finished cake.

Using gel frostings, write silly spooky sayings on the top half of the Milano cookies such as "RIP", "BOO", "B.A. Ghoul", "M.T. Tomb", "Justin Time", and "Yul B. Next".

Press the cookies halfway down into the cake here and there to resemble standing tombstones.

Arrange the ghost marshmallows and candies around the tombstones.

Top with colored sprinkles or sugars.

Serves 8-12.


Options:

You can use other cake flavors, if you pair them with a complementary cookie topping. For example, if you use a pumpkin flavored cake, you might want to use vanilla frosting and crushed gingersnaps.

If you can't find marshmallow ghosts with the Halloween candy in your local store, you could use dollops of whipped cream instead. Remember they should be piped on just before serving, or keep the cake chilled to prevent the ghosts from sagging.

Add a couple of mini chocolate chip eyes to each whipped cream ghost.

Variation:

Make individual ghost or tombstone cupcakes.




Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.