I get asked a lot of questions about cakes. One of the most common questions I get is, "What can you do with a 9x13 cake? I don't want to bake a layer cake."
I happen to really, really like layer cakes. Might even have a small obsession with them. Like making them twenty five layers and rainbow inside obsession.
But every now and then its nice to just make a cake like mom made.
Well, minus the creepy millipedes.
You know what I mean.
So I found this picture of a giant millipede.
photo from here
That sucker is like a foot long. I do not like looking at pictures of creepy crawly things but I do like you so I sucked it up and moved forward.
This cake is a marriage between wanting to make something fun out of a regular old 9x13 cake and wanting to do something seasonal. (Halloween)
Hence the creepy crawly millipede cake.
After icing the cake with white frosting, I just added some black food coloring to the remaining frosting. I always use *Americolor Gel Food Coloring when I need to achieve deep, rich color.
Since I am more familiar with the tiny millipedes in real life, I knew I wanted to add some to this cake. They are what really got me... since those little rollie pollie ones look EXACTLY like the real thing.
Pretty much my skin has been crawling for a week now.
So there you have it. I see a Cake Challenge post in the futuree. Maybe even a candy post. Maybe I will just snuggle up next to this cake in bed because its so beautiful.
But that might be weird.
I do know one thing, and that is that I have a few more Halloween cakes to share!
Hope you like Halloween as much as me!
*Link is through Amazon Affiliate.
Whoa! Looks so real o_o
Posted by: Yuri - Chef Pandita | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:20 PM
Amazing and totally creepy!
Posted by: Michelle | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:22 PM
Oh my creepiness! Awesome detail :)
Posted by: Courtney | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:26 PM
So creepy - perfect halloween creepiness cake!
Posted by: Kristen | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:35 PM
Eeew. Totally gave me the creepy crawlies. My favorite are the tiny ones, and that one climbing the side of the cake.
Posted by: Shaina | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:45 PM
This looks awesome, but I would never have it in my house, even for Halloween, ewww, Great job!
Joan @chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate
Posted by: Joan @chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:51 PM
Great Halloween idea! And thanks for doing a 9x13 cake! It's just nice to see once in a while.
Posted by: Brittany | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:52 PM
That is so lifelike and I am unsure if I could eat it!!!
Posted by: Sweet Susie | Sep 27, 2011 at 09:53 PM
OMGosh!!!! Thats soooooo soooooo creepy!! It's giving me the willies!!!! It does look great though.
Posted by: Melissa | Sep 27, 2011 at 10:06 PM
That is some crazy attention to detail! It must have taken you forever to do all those tiny ones and the little legs on the big one.
Posted by: Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen | Sep 27, 2011 at 10:43 PM
A little too real looking! I found my daughter, a baby, crunching on something and discovered she had a few in her mouth! Never liked them since - not that I did before!
Posted by: Lenita Wall | Sep 27, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Gaack! Lenita! Poor baby!!! :P
Posted by: Stephane | Sep 27, 2011 at 11:54 PM
Monstruous !!!
;)
Posted by: CoCO | Sep 28, 2011 at 03:02 AM
A little too life-like!! It is creepy...but a great idea! :)
Posted by: Kristin Smith | Sep 28, 2011 at 06:01 AM
Sheesh. I don't know if to be amazed or disgusted. That is one creepy cake!!
Posted by: Country Mouse @ country mouse cooks | Sep 28, 2011 at 06:27 AM
Whoa! creepy cake is right!......lol I bet some boys would LOVE a cake like this! great work Amanda!!
Posted by: TidyMom | Sep 28, 2011 at 07:15 AM
I'm skurred...
Posted by: Grammy@gram-cracker.com/blog | Sep 28, 2011 at 07:30 AM
waaayyyyyy toooooo funnnnnnn Amanda!!!! love it!!
Posted by: SMITH BITES | Sep 28, 2011 at 08:22 AM
Eek!
Posted by: Christina | Sep 28, 2011 at 08:24 AM
You are so cool. And talented too! My son would lurve for me to make one of these!
Posted by: Amy | She Wears Many Hats | Sep 28, 2011 at 08:37 AM
Yikes! I always scream whenever I see a millipede or any other creepy crawly thing on the floor. So, I'm pretty sure I'd scream when I saw this cake. That said, I think it's pretty perfect for Halloween! :)
Posted by: Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction | Sep 28, 2011 at 08:49 AM
Oh wow...I am just thinking about all of the time it took to pipe those little legs and the babies around the border! That's dedication! (And totally perfect cake for Halloween! So creepy!!!);)
Posted by: bridget {bake at 350} | Sep 28, 2011 at 09:09 AM
BLEARGH! Lol! This is great.
Posted by: Amy | Sep 28, 2011 at 09:34 AM
This would definitely give the most die-hard Halloween fan the willies, especially if you cut into that fella and it was filled with red velvet cake!
A lot of patience to be sure to complete this but the overall effect is totally realistic.
Posted by: Paula | Sep 28, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I am seriously in awe that you did that out of frosting!! It looks so real and creepy and disgusting (all of which are compliments to your ability!)
Posted by: Stephanie | Sep 28, 2011 at 10:05 AM
reading your twitter I felt BAD for ya, but looks like EWWWW and "GROSS" are a major GOOD thing here! AWESOME in a gross way! HAHAHAHA!
Posted by: trisha | Sep 28, 2011 at 10:55 AM
This has to be one of your best concept cake ever! So creepy and so real like.
Posted by: naomi | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:03 AM
How did you manage yucky & fabulous at the same time!!! Creepy crawly bliss :) Great cake girl.
Posted by: Marla@familyfreshcooking.com | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Ahh gag I shouldn't have looked while eating lunch...awesome job though gag gag
Posted by: Jen | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:47 AM
wow! What a perfect Halloween idea!So creepy!
Posted by: Luciana | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:55 AM
It's so wonderful! my kids just screamed in delight! (well mostly, there was some horror mixed in there too!) Very creepy!
Posted by: HeatherChristo | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:56 AM
Um wow...this is bringing back memories of the terrible bug I found in my apartment just last night. Glad you found a way to make it edible :)
Posted by: Esi | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:58 AM
you are so creative! and a true artist. do we see a tutorial in our futures?
Posted by: the urban baker | Sep 28, 2011 at 11:58 AM
That is totally sick in both defintions of the word (gross and totally awesome)! I don't think I could eat it (OK, yeah, I totally could b/c it's cake duh), but it is so neat!
Posted by: Veronica Miller | Sep 28, 2011 at 12:48 PM
I am going to steal this cake. A close friend of mine has a millipede problem at her house and keeps having to spray for them. I am so making this cake for her.
What tip did you use for the body?
Purely aweome.
Posted by: The Sugar Tree | Sep 28, 2011 at 12:50 PM
While I appreciate your technique and agree with all the posted compliments, am I really the only one not disappointed you haven't revealed the "surprise" from last post??!!! (sigh) :)
Posted by: amy | Sep 28, 2011 at 01:33 PM
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween! What a fantabulous Halloween cake! That millipede is SO realistic!
You amaze me.
Can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve!!
Posted by: Wenderly | Sep 28, 2011 at 03:47 PM
This cake gives me the heebie jeebies! It makes my skin crawl...which is completely AWESOME!! love it and hate it at the same time :O) The topper is all the wormies around the edges eeeek
Posted by: colleen | Sep 28, 2011 at 05:36 PM
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! That is gross. Which of course means you are awesome. It looks WAY to real to eat! :X
Posted by: Lorie | Sep 28, 2011 at 05:45 PM
Seriously one of the creepiest things I've seen!! Love the border around the bottom, it adds an awesome touch!
I'm with you...not a fan of the sheet cake. But this one is perfect!
Posted by: Cookbook Queen | Sep 28, 2011 at 07:13 PM
Just when I think I can't be more impressed/amazed I read one of your posts... as they say "there she goes again"!!
When my boys were younger this cake would have been "da bomb" - think I had better go out and find some little boys to make this for!
Posted by: Nancy@acommunaltable | Sep 28, 2011 at 07:15 PM
Aaah, this is so wonderfully grossly cool! I love the color contrasts too.
Posted by: Georgia Pellegrini | Sep 28, 2011 at 10:51 PM
My favorite are the tiny ones, and that one climbing the side of the cake.Great idea!
Posted by: Landisville Shutters | Sep 29, 2011 at 04:53 PM
eeek that is amazing - did you pipe every leg?!
Posted by: Lucy Lean | Sep 29, 2011 at 05:11 PM
That is nasty!!
Posted by: Niki | Sep 29, 2011 at 06:58 PM
Wow I totally missed this post, maybe because I've been out of it since Monday morning..
That thing is CREEPY! EEKK! Those are one of my least favorite bugs they totally freak me out and make me want to run for the hills. I don't know that I could eat a cake with that on it. Couldn't eat it right now anyways if I wanted to or not LOL.
Posted by: Renee | Sep 29, 2011 at 07:56 PM
Definitely creepy! This is one bug that used to scare the daylights out of me when I was a kid. I still get goose bumps when I see one. Perfect for Halloween.
Posted by: Barbara | Sep 30, 2011 at 07:54 AM
Very creative! I've wanted to create something creepy for halloween and this is perfect. Great detail on the legs!
Posted by: Cookies | Sep 30, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Ok, I am slightly wigging out over this one. Cool... but I feel the need to brush my arms and shoulders ;)
Posted by: Tickled Red | Sep 30, 2011 at 09:16 PM
are you going to post the "making of"? or how does it look inside? or something else??? Mmmmm looks soooooooo great!
Posted by: Gabi | Oct 02, 2011 at 01:37 PM