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4 cups (1 L) ice cream (vanilla or mint chocolate chip)
Silver drag? and fruit leather
Chocolate cake:
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) butter, softened
2-1/4 cups (550 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1-1/4 tsp (6 mL) vanilla
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) each baking powder and baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
2-1/4 cups (550 mL) buttermilk
Chocolate icing:
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) icing sugar
3 tbsp (50 mL) whipping cream
3 oz (90 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Preparation:
Grease sides of 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Chocolate cake: In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt ; sift again to blend completely. Stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool completely on rack. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 24 hours.)
Chocolate icing: In bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Alternately beat in sugar and cream, making 3 additions of sugar and 2 of cream. Stir in chocolate and vanilla, leaving streaks to resemble wood. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; let come to room temperature and beat until smooth.)
Let ice cream soften in refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes. Place cake, top side down, on cutting board. Trim off corners to resemble coffin. Trace same shape onto heavy cardboard and cut out; wrap tightly with foil.
Cut cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on cake board or dark tray. Using palette knife, spread with ice cream; cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Working quickly, spread sides of bottom layer with icing. Position skeleton on top. Place large piece of cake trimming beside skeleton to prop open lid. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, place top of cake on prepared foil-covered cardboard; place on baking sheet. Spread top and sides with icing. Arrange silver drag? around edge; cut cross out of fruit leather and position in centre. Lightly cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Place coffin lid on cake. Crumble cake trimmings and scatter over platter for dirt. (Make-ahead: Cover and freeze for up to 24 hours.) To serve, remove coffin lid; set skeleton aside and cut cake.
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