Spin a Scary Tale Cake

Step 1

In advance: Prepare 108 oz. of Chocolate Fondant; tint black. Tint white fondant as follows: 36 oz. violet; 12 oz. orange; 1 oz. green (reserve 1 oz. white).

Step 2

Also: Make spider legs. Add 1/2 teaspoon Gum-Tex to 6 oz. violet fondant for 24 legs. Roll 1/4 x 3 in. logs; bend at 1 in. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted surface.

Step 3

And: Cover Cake Base with 24 oz. violet fondant.

Step 4

Bake and cool 2-pc. pumpkin and 2-layer round cakes. Prepare cakes for Stacked and Globe Pillar Construction. Prepare and cover both cakes with black fondant.

Step 5

Make fondant pumpkins. Roll out orange fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use 2 smallest cutters from set to cut 8 pumpkins in each size; use 3rd smallest cutter to cut 4. Cut off stems. Trim sides of largest pumpkins to make thinner version. Attach pumpkins around cake sides using damp brush. Pipe tip 3 stems; smooth with finger. Use tip 1 to pipe rib lines and to outline features; fill in features and pat smooth. Attach to cake sides and decorate.

Step 6

Pipe tip 1 words and swirls on sides of both cakes. Pipe tip 5 bead border on 10 in. cake. For small spiders, pipe tip 5 body and pat smooth. With tip 1, outline and pipe in hats (pat smooth); add outline hat band and stripes, legs, hanging string, dot and string facial features.

Step 7

Decorate pumpkin. Trim off stem and leaves; position on cut-to-fit cake board. Ice eyes, nose and mouth areas smooth; outline features using tip 3. Cover with tip 16 stars. Attach marshmallow to top for stem; cover with tip 16 lines.

Step 8

Make globe spiders. Cut hidden pillars to 7 1/2 in. Use 12 in. plate to mark plate leg positions, then insert pillars into base cake. Cover globes with fondant for spider bodies, leaving openings for pillars clear; slide globes onto pillars. Roll out orange fondant 1/8 ?in. thick. For hat brim, cut a circle using largest Cut-Out; use pillar end to cut away center. Slide brim over pillar and onto spider. For top of hat, use a 1 1/4 in. ball of fondant; roll out, leaving top edge thicker. Brush pillar area with piping gel, then wrap around pillar and shape. Cut 4 x 1 1/4 in. long green strips and attach to hats with damp brush. Roll and flatten small balls of fondant for eyes, pupils and nose; attach with damp brush. Attach spider legs with Thinned Fondant Adhesive.

Step 9

At party: position 12 in. plate on spider pillars; position pumpkin cake on top.

*Combine Orange with a little Red-Red for orange shown. Combine Violet with Rose for violet shown. Combine Lemon Yellow with Golden Yellow for yellow shown.