Zombie Graveyard Cake

Ingredients

• 1 baked 9-inch square or circle cake, flavor of your choice
• 1 cup butter
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Several drops green food coloring
• 2 cups coarsely crumbled chocolate wafer cookies
• Rounded cookies such as Vienna Fingers, to use as "graves"
• Writing icing
• Printed zombie illustrations
• Toothpicks
• Tape

Directions

1. Make the frosting by beating the butter in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment on medium speed until it becomes soft and creamy. Add 4 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, half of the cream, and the vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
2. Work in the remaining confectioners’ sugar gradually, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, about 2 minutes, until the frosting is thick enough to spread nicely. You may not need all of the sugar. If the frosting needs loosening, mix in the remaining cream. Add the green food coloring at the end and mix until the color is even.
3. Spread a small amount of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for 20-30 minutes, or until that thin layer feels firm.
4. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting, using the heaviest layer on top and enough on the sides to fully hide the cake underneath.
5. As soon as the cake is frosted, press the crumbled chocolate wafer cookies onto the sides. If you like, scatter a few extra crumbs across the top.
6. Make the “graves” by writing “RIP” or another spooky message on the top half of a sandwich cookie. Vienna Fingers work well because of their long, rounded shape. Allow the writing icing to set for a couple of minutes, then push the cookie into the cake until half of it is buried. Continue with as many gravestones as you’d like.
7. Cut out the printed zombie illustrations and tape the backs to toothpicks to make several zombie cake picks. Push the zombie picks into the cake. Add any other spooky garnishes you’d like, such as meringue skulls, candy mushrooms, et cetera.