Spooky Book Of Spells Cake

Preheat the oven to 350u00b0F. Lightly grease and line a 12 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake in prepared pan for 25-30 mins until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 mins. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Trim top of cake to create a flat, even surface.

Dust work surface with cornstarch. Roll 1/4 of the fondant into a 28 x 1 1/2 inch strip. Create thin lines with a skewer and ruler to resemble pages.

Brush top and sides of cake with jam. Wrap fondant strip around 3 sides of the cake, leaving one long side uncovered (this will be the spine of the book).

Knead red food color into remaining fondant until smooth. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 13 x 9 inch rectangle. Lift icing onto rolling pin and drape over cake, covering bare side and top. Gently press down with floured hands. Trim edges if needed.

Arrange licorice string down spine of book, leaving a 3/4-1 inch edge. Make indentations with fork handle across spine of book. Decorate cake with licorice stars, writing gel, toy spiders and other spooky Halloween decorations!