Eeek, drink and be merry

Jack-o-lantern cakes

Makes 6 cakes. Prep time: 15 minutes. Baking time: 27 minutes.Refrigerating time: 60 minutes. Decorating time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1  bag Snickers fun size bars, 2 (16-ounce) cans vanilla frosting, green and orange food coloring, 1 bag M&M’S milk chocolate candies. Pumpkin Patch Mix:1 (0.68-ounce) tube black decorating  gel, 1 bag Twix fun size bars.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 mini bundt pans (each with 6 mini Bundt molds); set aside.

2. Combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Beat until thick, about 2 minutes; then divide batter evenly between mini Bundt pans.

3. Chop 1 cup Snickers bars and sprinkle on top of batter. Bake 20 to 27 minutes until golden, or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Invert, let cool completely and then remove from pan.

4. Meanwhile, tint 1/2 cup of frosting green, spoon into resealable plastic bag and set aside. Tint remaining frosting bright orange. Spoon 1/4 cup orange frosting into resealable plastic bag and set aside. Stack
2 cakes together (bottom to bottom) resembling a pumpkin shape. If necessary, trim bottoms so they are flat.

5. Place stacked cakes on wire rack set over sheet pan.

6. Heat orange frosting in microwave until thin enough to pour, about 1 minute, stirring well every 10 seconds.

7. Pour frosting evenly over cakes, covering completely. Use small knife or spatula to help frosting cover sides if necessary. Scrape up excess frosting, reheat and reuse if needed.

8. Refrigerate cakes until frosting sets, about 1 hour.

9. Transfer cakes to serving platter. Snip small corner from plastic bags of tinted frosting. Pipe green frosting vines on top of cakes and orange frosting dots to attach M&M’s. Pipe eyes, nose and mouth with black decorating gel. Trim 6 Twix bars and insert at top of cakes for stems.

Tip: If you don’t have mini bundt cake pans, use jumbo cupcake pans - makes 12 cupcakes.