Over-The-Hill Cheater Cake :0)

With my fabulous friend Jennifer turning 40 and her husbands sweet request for a cake, I had been searching my crazy, mixed up brain trying to figure out just how to make a cake for Jennifer.  This wouldn't be a problem, except for the embarrassing fact that our "temporary house" we are living in right now doesn't have an oven.  Yep.  No oven.  Please don't ask me how I make dinner.  It is a moment I dread all day long, and a trauma I work all night to forget.  

We won't go there, but here is the cake I came up with.  

Costco.  They are my new best friend!

I ran on over to Costco and bought this fabulous, already torted, frosted, and boxed chocolate cake.  Frankly, it was probably cheaper to buy this cake than it would have been to buy all the ingredients and slave away in the kitchen for a whole day...and probably night ;0)

With my current lack of organization I didn't get a cake ordered, so I just grabbed a fancy floral cake, took it home, and scrapped the roses off the middle.  

Since I was going for a graveyard theme to my cake {even though I think that 40 is looking younger and younger every day} I made some dirt.  A couple crunched up oreos and a little brown sugar mixed together did the trick.

I liked the sections already on the cake.  They were fancy so they got to stay.  I just spread the cookie/dirt mixture where I wanted it.

Next I used Wilton's 233 tip to make little patches of grass.  This is NOT a well kept graveyard ;0)

It looked like this after being "seeded."  

Next I made The Coffin Candy Mold.  I picked it up from my fav, ABC Cake in Phoenix.  So if you have never done a big mold like this, don't sweat it!  It is so easy.  I opened a bag of Wilton candy melts, heated them in the microwave until they stirred smooth, then I just poured the chocolate into the mold.  Here is the only trick, make sure and tap the mold on the counter a few times so the bubbles rise to the top.  I put the chocolate filled mold into the freezer for 15 min or so {it is done when all the chocolate is firm to the touch}.  Take the finished candy out of the freezer, turn upside down and remove the candy from the mold.  You can trim any extra chocolate with kitchen scissors, just shave it off.

Fabulous!

I made a tiny mummy from white fondant to put into the coffin.  The headstones were cupcake pics purchased from the cake store.  I had some cute candles too that apparently were left out of this picture {tee-hee}.  They said "Lost Count"  Jennifer, when you read this, you will need to email me a picture ;0) so I can have a finished picture on the blog {thanks, that will be great}.

Fabulous Jennifer!  Thanks for the picture ;0)

So, the whole temporary, oven-less house thing, yeah...I will be able to explain that on Monday :0)

Have a great Weekend!