3 days in advance: Make gate, tree and bat. Tint Gum Paste: 8 oz. black, 8 oz. gray. Roll out 1/8 in. thick. Use patterns to cut out shapes. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted boards.

Also in advance: Decorate gate. Follow pattern to pipe tip 3 details in royal icing. Let dry.

Continuing in advance: Decorate bat, using Thinned Royal Icing. Work quickly, 1 section at a time, to prevent drying. Outline wings and legs with tip 2, body with tip 3. Outline section then immediately use damp brush to brush icing outward for shaded effect. Use tip 2 to pipe facial features and to overpipe main details. When dry, attach Cookie Stick to back with Thinned Fondant Adhesive. Let dry.

Finally in advance: Cover base board with 24 oz. violet fondant.

Bake and cool 2-layer 6 in. and 10 in. square cakes, 3-layer 8 in. square cake (trim 1 layer for 5 in. high tier). Prepare 4 recipes of Chocolate Fondant; tint black.

Prepare and cover cakes with fondant. Prepare for Stacked Construction. Stack cakes on board.

Attach gate to center front with fondant adhesive. Using full-strength royal icing and tip 3, pipe vertical fence posts, 3/4 in. apart. Pipe pointed bead on top of each post. Pipe horizontal lines 3 in. and 2 1/4 in. from bottom. Pipe a circle inside each square. Using tip 3, pipe message and bead borders on top 2 tiers. Attach tree. Insert bat.

* Combine Violet with Rose for violet shown.