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1
For the cake: Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9 by 2-inch) nonstick round cake pans.
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2
Line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper, and then butter the paper.
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3
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together onto parchment paper.
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4
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 4 or 5 minutes.
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5
Add your eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding each additional egg.
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6
Mix in the chocolate and vanilla, making sure to combine really well.
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7
Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
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8
Make sure to let it mix thoroughly.
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9
Pour half the batter in each pan and spread evenly with a spatula or butter knife.
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10
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
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11
Remove the pans to racks and allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes or so.
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12
Loosen the edges of the cake from the pan with a knife, then turn them onto the racks.
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13
Remove the paper and let the cakes completely cool.
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14
To assemble: Put some Milk Chocolate Buttercream on top of 1 cake layer, pushing out to the sides a bit.
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15
Sprinkle some ground up chocolate wafers on top.
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16
Place the other cake layer on top and flip it over so the flat surface is up.
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17
Ice with the rest of the buttercream.
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18
Don't try to make it perfectly smooth, the more bumpy it is the better, we're creating a graveyard!
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19
With your black gel, write out RIP on the chocolate sandwich cookies to make them look like gravestones.
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20
Sprinkle more ground wafers on top of the cake to look like dirt.
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21
Pat some more around the sides.
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22
Take your chocolate tree and put right through the cake in the back.
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23
Add some gravestones and some pumpkins.
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24
And the chocolate bones, pressing into the sides like an X.
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25
Arrange chunks of rock candy around.
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26
Combine the butter, salt and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar in a mixer with the whisk attachment.
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27
Beat until light and fluffy.
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28
Add the melted chocolates, vanilla and the remaining 3 cups sugar.
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29
Whisk on medium-high until smooth and fluffy.
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30
Put the chips in a heatproof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
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31
Stir to melt.
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32
Fill a zip top bag with the melted chocolate and pipe it out on a baking sheet lined with foil in the shape of a tree.
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33
Let cool.
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34
Put the chips in a heatproof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
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35
Stir to melt.
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36
Add the melted butter to the chips to make the mixture more workable.
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37
Take your pretzel stick and push a marshmallow on each side.
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38
Coat in the white chocolate, and let dry on parchment paper.
