Pumpkin Patch Cake

The real pumpkin patch is fun for all ages, and so is this look-alike cake. Serve it up at your next harvest party and everyone will 'dig in'. If you can't find mini candy pumpkins, orange gumdrops work just fine.

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 50 minutes (includes baking time
Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients
1 (18.5 ounce) boxed cake mix -- prepared
1 (16 ounce) can dark chocolate icing
1 (16 ounce) can white icing
1 (22 ounce) bag small candy pumpkins
10 chocolate cream sandwich cookies
32 pretzel sticks
orange and green gumdrops – optional

Directions

1. Bake cake as directed on box using 2 square 9x9 baking pans that have been prepared with cooking spray. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely.
2. Trim cakes so they are flat and place on a large platter. Frost the top of the bottom layer with dark chocolate icing. Top with remaining cake and frost sides only with dark chocolate icing.
3. Tint white icing with green food coloring and frost the top of the cake only - leaving the sides covered with dark chocolate.
4. Place cookies into a large resealable plastic bags and crush fine.
5. Sprinkle crushed cookies evenly over the top of the cake to look like dirt.
6. Set candy pumpkins into the 'dirt'.
7. Piece together 4 pretzel sticks with small dabs of icing to resemble fencing. You will need 8 lengths of 'fence'. Let dry well before placing around the edge of the cake. Add a small sign attached to pretzel sticks if wanted.
8. Surround cake with more candy pumpkins and gumdrops if desired.

See all recipes from Anne Coleman's "Short Order Mom" blog.