How do you make a chocolate hedgehog cake?

How to Make a Chocolate Hedgehog Cake:

Ingredients:

* Cake:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup buttermilk

* 1/2 cup vegetable oil

* 2 large eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Frosting:

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

* 3 cups powdered sugar

* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1/2 cup milk

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Decorations:

* 1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips

* 1 bag (1 ounce) candy melts in brown or black

* Pretzel sticks

* Candy eyes

* Sprinkles (optional)

Equipment:

* 9x13 inch baking pan

* Mixing bowls

* Electric mixer

* Rubber spatula

* Parchment paper

* Piping bag (optional)

* Serrated knife

* Toothpick

* Cookie sheet

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Cake:

* Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

* In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

* In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.

* Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

* Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

2. Make the Frosting:

* While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

* Add cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.

3. Assemble the Hedgehog:

* Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

* Once cooled, flip the cake onto a flat surface. You can either use a serrated knife to carve a hedgehog shape out of the cake or simply leave it as a rectangular shape.

* Frost the cake with a generous layer of chocolate frosting.

* Use a piping bag or a fork to make the frosting look like spines.

4. Decorate:

* Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent burning.

* Dip pretzel sticks in melted chocolate and let them dry on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. These will be the hedgehog's legs.

* Once the chocolate has hardened, attach the pretzel legs to the cake using additional frosting.

* Melt the candy melts in the same way you melted the chocolate chips.

* Use a toothpick to carefully create a nose and eyes out of the melted candy.

* Add candy eyes and sprinkle some chocolate chips around the cake for added detail.

Tips:

* If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

* If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a fork to create the hedgehog spines.

* For a more realistic hedgehog, use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate chips to create different shades of brown.

* Feel free to get creative with your decorations! Use candy corn for teeth, mini marshmallows for ears, or even edible glitter for a sparkly finish.

Enjoy your delicious and adorable chocolate hedgehog cake!