1. MELT two thirds of the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Remove from the heat and add the remaining chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool slightly and then spoon chocolate into a piping bag and snip off the end to make a 1-2mm hole. Pipe “headstone shapes” onto baking paper lined trays and allow to set at room temperature.
2. Use the melted dark chocolate to pipe words and dates etc onto the headstones. Refrigerate until required.
3. COMBINE the water, sugar, butter, cocoa and bicarbonate soda in a saucepan and warm, but do not boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to the boil and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool for 30 minutes.
4. STIR through the flour and eggs and beat until just combined. Pour into a greased and base-lined 20cm round cake pan. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 40 minutes or until cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. CREAM the unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Add the sifted icing sugar, milk and food colouring and beat again until combined. Cut an “open grave” out of the cake then spread the buttercream icing over the entire cake, heaping around the edges of the grave then sprinkle liberally with the grated chocolate to resemble fresh dirt. Decorate with a collection of headstone place snakes into the grave then drape with fairy floss if desired.
Notes:
You may like to extend the frosting out onto the serving plate as well, placing extra snakes around the cakes edge.
Trace headstone shapes onto the underside of the baking paper to use as a guide when piping.