Journey to a HallowTween Bash - Days 1 & 2!

The journey to the Ultimate HallowTween Bash has started with a bang! Yesterday, we started the week with some Piggies&Paws decor! I picked one Halloween print from over the years for each of them.  Dry (13 now with hands bigger than mine) was only 5 when we did this "Witch's Hand" design. J.C. (12 now) helped me design this BatHero from his 3 year old footprint. L.J. (9 now) picked her 2 year old kitty handprint to display this year. I love seeing how excited they get viewing their collections and comparing sizes with one another. This is the reason I will never stop printing them...ever! To me, it's kind of like that tear-jerker book Love You Forever. I tell them I'll print them every year until my little granny hands can print no more & then it will be their turn to print mine. Ok....don't make me cry! Anyway.... here's the pic:

My Personal Piggies & Paws HallowTween Decor

So, here's my "BEST of Pinterest" find for Day 2! Yay!:

This was my first attempt at this awesome "cake pop" cake. I will be remaking it for the big "HalloTween" bash on Friday! Cute, huh???? I wasn't sure it would work, because I did things a little differently than the original blogger did. BUT....I cut it open & I screamed all over the house!!!! I'm the hugest fan of polka dots AND black & white AND coconut....so, I screamed and danced and screamed some more!

Here is what I used:

Babycakes Cake Pop Maker

Vanilla Cake Recipe - suggested in BCPM recipe book.

Wilton Decorator Preferred® 8X3 Round Pan - 1 pan, 3 in deep & accommodates 1 regular cake mix

Black Food Dye

White Food Dye

Buttercream Recipe + Coconut Flavoring & 1 C Shredded Coconut

Black Writer Icing

First, I made the cake balls with the vanilla batter recipe. I added white food dye to achieve a whiter cake. It looks yellow in the pic, because of my lighting, but it did turn out really white IRL.

Next, I made a Devil's Food box mix. I always use buttermilk instead of water & I added 1 sml Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix. To make the cake black, I added a little black food dye. I was definitely shooting for a distinct black & white look.

Then I sprayed the extra deep pan with non-stick spray and spread a thin layer of black batter down. I placed halved "cake pop" balls face down on top of the layer of batter. Covered them with another thin layer of batter, then added whole "cake pop" balls on top of that. Covered those with the remaining batter and baked according to box directions.

*I chose to use the one "deep" pan opposed to two rounds, because the balls will rise & I didn't think I would get the ideal result with less room for the balls to spread about. Because the cake pan is deeper than most and because the cooked "cake pop" balls were floating within, it took about 20 minutes longer. Watch it carefully. It's done when an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.

Let it cool and frost with your juicy Coconut Infused Buttercream-a-licious Frosting! 

Cut open and be Amazed!!!!

This is my version of the Polk-A-Dot cake that caught my eye on Pinterest! Definitely "the best of the best!" You can find that pic & her recipe over at the Snowy Bliss Blog! Her black and orange cake is super cute and I'm so grateful to have been inspired by her. Check out the other goodies on her blog & if you watch our live-stream coverage of The Ultimate HallowTween Bash - featuring the Best of the Best on Pinterest on Friday - October 28 - 7 p.m. PST, you'll see the colors I pick for the big BASH. This was just my prototype! :) I know the kids will LOVE it!