Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Make this cake a clever centerpiece for your Halloween gathering. Each slice will look like a piece of candy corn!
landolakes.com

45 min.prep time 1:45total time

16 servings

1 (15.25- to 16.5-ounce) package devil’s food or butter recipe chocolate cake mix

1 1/3 cups buttermilk*

1/2 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, melted

3 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Eggs

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frostings

1 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 to 6 tablespoons milk

4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened or semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

 Orange gel food color

 Yellow gel food color

Decorations

 Candy corn

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside. 

Combine all cake ingredients in bowl; beat at low speed 1 minute. Increase speed to high; beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. 

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes; invert onto cooling rack. Top with another cooling rack; invert again so cakes are right side up. Cool completely.

Beat 1 cup butter in bowl until creamy; add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, adding enough milk for desired frosting consistency. Remove 2 cups frosting to medium bowl; add melted chocolate. Beat until well mixed. 

Place 1 cake layer, top-side down, onto serving plate. Spread top with 1 cup chocolate frosting. Place second layer, top-side up, over frosted layer. Frost sides of cake with chocolate frosting. Spread a smooth, thin layer of chocolate frosting on top of second layer. Draw a circle 1 1/2 inches in from top edge of cake with toothpick. Draw another circle 1 1/2 inches in from first circle, leaving a 3-inch circle in center of cake. 

Using 1/2 cup white frosting, pipe stars or spread frosting in center circle. Remove 3/4 cup white frosting to another bowl; tint with orange food color. Pipe stars or spread orange frosting on middle circle. Tint remaining frosting yellow. Pipe stars or spread yellow frosting in outer circle on top of cake. 

Use any remaining frosting to pipe a border on bottom edge of cake, if desired. Press pieces of candy corn onto sides of cake. 

*Substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 1/3 cups. Let stand 5 minutes.

Instead of making free hand guide circles with a toothpick, use an inverted drinking glass to make the center circle and an inverted salad or cereal bowl to mark the next largest circle.