Chocolate Cauldrons

Happy Halloween!  This year I made these delicious chocolate cauldrons.

Wilton Dark Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 
1/2 cup butter or margarine 
1 cup cocoa (I recommend Hersey's Special Dark)
1 tsp vanilla extract 
4 cups confectioners' sugar 
4-5 tbsps milk 
3-4 tbsps light corn syrup (optional)

Materials:
Your favorite chocolate cake recipe or a box cake mix
12 Mini Chocolate Donuts, cut in half
Vanilla pudding
1 pkg Chocolate Twizzlers
24 Pretzel sticks
Green Food coloring
Black Food Coloring
24 Black Cupcake liners
White and Green Pearl Sprinkles (Optional)

Bake chocolate cupcakes according the instructions. Wait until fully cooled to decorate.

To make frosting:
Cream shortening and butter with a stand mixer. Next add the cocoa and vanilla. Then add the confectioners sugar slowly, beating well on medium speed.  At this point the frosting will be very dry, add the milk and mix well.  If frosting is still too thick, add the corn syrup.  The frosting is a dark brown, so to make it truly black I added black food coloring.


Making the Cauldrons:
Put a small amount of frosting on top of the cupcake, then cut the mini donuts in half and place cut side down on top of the cupcake.

Next frost the top of the donut.  Then use a knife to create a slit on each side of the donut to insert the chocolate twizzler.

The next step is to frost the sides of the donut and over the twizzler.  Add the green food coloring to the vanilla pudding.  Scoop the pudding into the donut hole.  Add the pretzel stick and the pearl sprinkles.