Spooky Monster Cake

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.

Step 3

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Step 4

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and with an electric mixer beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin!) and pour batter into prepared pans.

Step 6

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 7

Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frosting

Step 8

Beat the softened butter over medium speed with an electric mixer until soft and creamy.

Step 9

Continue to beat over medium speed and gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed

Step 10

Add the vanilla.

Step 11

Beat in the heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Step 12

Frosting into 3 bowls and tint with food coloring. 1 purple, 1 lime green, and 1 orange

To Assemble

Step 13

Fit 3 separate decorating bags with 1/2-inch round piping tip; fill each with different color frosting.

Step 14

Place first cake layer on plate.

Step 15

Using green frosting, pipe around top edge of cake layer, forming a thick frosting border.

Step 16

Spread additional frosting over top of cake inside frosting border.

Step 17

Top with second cake layer; repeat border and filling with purple frosting.

Step 18

Place third cake layer on top; repeat with orange frosting.

Step 19

Pipe remaining frosting into mounds over top of cake, alternating colors and sizes of mounds.

Step 20

Decorate as desired using candy eyeballs on frosting mounds and side of cake.

Step 21

Store cake covered at room temperature.