The Reeses Haunted Tree Halloween Cake - Inspired by the time-honored specialty cakes of Halloween, these downscaled versions are studded with mixed dried fruits and nuts and flavored with spirits of Halloween. the original is from www.hersheys.com

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

2 cans vanilla ready -to-spread frosting or your favorite homemade vanilla frosting, divided

Red and yellow food color

1-1/3 cups (8-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Minis Peanut Butter Cups, divided

5 to 6 teaspoons HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Cocoa

Method:

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2 Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.

4 Set aside 1/2 cup frosting. Tint remaining frosting to desired shade of orange with red and yellow food color.

5 Coarsely chop 1 cup mini peanut butter cups; set aside. Place first cake layer on serving plate; frost top of layer with about 3/4 cup frosting. Top with chopped peanut butter cups. Add second cake layer; complete frosting cake.

6 Add cocoa to reserved frosting; place in heavy duty (freezer) resealable food storage bag. Cut off tip of bag about 1/4 inch from one corner. Draw leafless tree and branches onto top of cake by piping chocolate frosting in desired design. Add remaining mini peanut butter cups as few remaining leaves on tree and as leaves that have already fallen to the ground. 10 to 12 servings.