BY JESSICA YADEGARAN© 2012 Contra Costa Times

What happened to those cuteHalloween cupcakes, the onesdecorated with confectionarybats and ghosts? Apparently,they were eaten by vampire ratsand disembodied clown heads.

Sweets have gone subversive.Celebrity cake designers on FoodNetwork’s “Cupcake Wars” andTLC’s “Ultimate Cake Off” haveelevated both the artistry andthe wicked factor to constructdeliciously evil creations. And, ifyou have been to a “Twilight” or“True Blood” viewing party any-time recently, you know thatscary treats are now a year-round tradition.

With this much inspiration,skip the jack-o’-lantern cake popsthis year. With the right tools andtechniques, you can make spine-tingling treats with all the, er,trimmings — from mummy gauzeand eyeball veins to spatteredblood and human skin (shudder).

The importance of tools is ap-parent as soon as you enter theOakland, Calif., headquarters ofDebbie Does Cakes, an industrialkitchen where drills, pliers, ser-rated knives and wire cuttershang above stainless steel sinkslike a scene out of “Dexter.”Clearly, he’s not the only blood-spatter expert — and this is novenue for making kindergartenclassroom treats.

Celebrated cake artist DebbieGoard’s bizarre, off-putting andoften disgusting sculpted cakes— can of worms, anyone? —have earned a devoted followingon the Food Network and onFacebook, where fans fromaround the world visit to seewhat devilish treats she will bakein time for Halloween. Goard willbe teaching classes in her nativeNorth Carolina; otherwise, thehorror movie junkie says shewould be whipping up a gothicEdgar Allan Poe-inspired ravenwith a Celtic cross tombstone.

“It doesn’t have to be bloodyto be creepy,” says Goard in herwarm, Southern drawl as shesails through the kitchen, point-ing out a Chihuahua cake thathas a head too big for its body.Talk about creepy.

Most of the designs featuredin her new book, “Twisted Cakes”(Harper, $19.99, 128 pages), aremade from a combination ofcake, modeling chocolate andfondant. The book is filled with il-lustrated instructions and tem-plates to help re-create Goard’sintricately iced gravestones,Siamese pigs and tortured teddybears, if that’s your thing. Shecan even make a candy barscary.

“You wouldn’t believe howeasy maggots are,” says Goard,whose work has been featuredon “Food Network Challenge”and been commissioned byGoogle and Apple. “It’s justpinches of white fondant scoredwith a modeling tool and air-brushed ivory-gray.”

Color is critical to creepiness,especially when it doesn’t occurin nature, says Candace Nelson,the founder of Los Angeles-basedcult favorite Sprinkles Cupcakesand Ice Cream, which recentlyopened an outpost in Palo Alto.Work colors such as blue andpurple and gray into your pas-tries, she suggests.

“It breaks all the rules forwhat is appetizing,” Nelson says.“It’s so wrong, but it strikes achord.” Earlier this year, Nelsonand “Hostel” director Eli Rothjudged a round on “Cupcake

Wars.” The competition wasfierce, she says: “We saw severedfingers, open wounds and glassshards.”

Her tips: Red piping gel is adead-ringer for blood, especiallywhen mixed with green to give itthat darker, hemoglobin effect.Mummy strings? Rolled fondant.Glass? Cook sugar, then cool andbreak apart.

But often, it takes nothingmore than one simple step totransform something simple, likea white cake, into a centerpieceof horror. To create the spatteredblood on her “Frosty Split” wed-ding cake, Goard dips a stiff, hardpaintbrush into a mixture ofsuper-red airbrush color andwhite opaque gel color. Then sheflings and flecks to desired effect.

And if you’re willing to workfrom the real thing, you can makejust about anything, includingthe “gauze” wrapped aroundGoard’s rendition of the swad-dled, alienlike newborn in DavidLynch’s “Eraserhead.” She says,“I just flattened my white fondantonto strips of gauze.”

Is that why her severed armcake looks so realistic?

“I looked at medical books forthose,” Goard says, reassuringly.

———STABBED CUPCAKES

Makes 24 cupcakesNote: Find fondant, CMC pow-

der and silver luster dust at cakedecorating stores.

8 ounces black fondant2 teaspoons CMC powderSilver luster dustVodka or lemon extract24 red velvet cupcakes (see

recipe)Cream cheese icing (see

recipe)1/2 cup piping gelRed food color1 teaspoon cornstarch,

optional1. Place the black fondant on

a very lightly dusted surface.Sprinkle the CMC powder over itand knead until all the powder isevenly blended into the fondant.Roll the mixture to a 1/8-inchthickness.

2. Use a craft knife to cut outsmall knives, a few at a time asfondant tends to set quickly andyou need to add detail. Using thesmall end of a No. 2 or No. 3 icingtip, indent three rivets along thehandle of each knife. With a cof-fee stirrer, imprint a thinner, flat-ter area along edge of knifeblades. Repeat until you have 24knives. Let set in cool place for 1to 2 days.

3. Mix silver luster dust with alittle vodka or lemon extract toform a thick liquid. With a smallpaintbrush, paint the blade andrivets of hardened knives silveron one side. Let dry, then paintother side. Dry completely.

4. Ice the cupcakes withcream cheese frosting using aNo. 12 icing tip and a piping bag,and finishing each with a swirlypeak.

5. Insert a knife into each ofthe iced cupcakes at a “juststabbed” angle.

6. Mix piping gel with a fewdrops of red food coloring. Youcan keep it translucent or add asprinkle of cornstarch for a moreopaque look. Place in a small pip-ing bag and squeeze out a trickleof “blood” onto each cupcake atthe base of the knife, so that itseeps away from the “wound.”

—”Twisted Cakes,”(HarperDesign, 128 pages,$19.99)

———LIVELY CANDY

Serves 20Note: This cake resembles a

maggot-infested, partially-eatencandy bar. Find fondant andother ingredients at cake deco-rating stores.

1 recipe vanilla cake (seerecipe)

3 cups decorator’s butter-cream icing (see recipe)

3 ounces modeling chocolate1 1/2 pounds white fondantFood-safe airbrush colors:

chocolate brown, flesh tone,black and ivory

4 ounces white fondant, tintedflesh tone

11 ounces gray fondant,divided

Silver luster dustVodka or lemon extract1 sheet wafer paperEdible markersPiping gel1. Use a serrated knife to cut

the cake into a candy bar shape,free-form or using the templatein Debbie Goard’s book. Use theknife to round the top edges;slice off one end at an angle tocreate a “bitten end.”

2. Pipe buttercream icing overthe top and sides of cake andsmooth with a spatula, takingcare to maintain the rounded topedges.

3. Roll long thin snakes ofmodeling chocolate. Apply thesnakes along the length of icedcake in a curvy pattern to createthe swirl detail on a candy bar’scoating. Roll out white fondanton a dusted surface. Drape overiced cake. Smooth fondant withhands, tracing around modelingchocolate swirls. Trim excessand save the pieces. Tuck edgesof fondant under cake. Pincharound “bitten” end to createsharp edge.

4. Avoiding the “bitten” end,spray the candy bar with layersof chocolate brown airbrushcolor. Spray extra layers of colorto create darker shading aroundswirls to emphasize them.

5. Roll out flesh tone-tintedfondant onto dusted surface.Press with scrub brush to createnougat texture. Moisten “bitten”end of bar with water. Fix tex-tured fondant in place. Trim andcreate more texture with scrubbrush. Airbrush “nougat” withfleshtone color.

6. Roll out 8 ounces of grayfondant. Drape over bar, leaving2 inches exposed at “bitten” end.Trim and tuck in edges. Mix sil-ver luster dust and vodka orlemon extract to milky consis-tency. Use to airbrush wrappersilver. Add shading with blackairbrush color.

7. Make candy bar labels outof the sheet of wafer paper, usingedible markers to trace label out-lines and coloring. Let dry. Care-fully cut out labels with sharpscissors.

8. Using a spatula, apply athin coat of piping gel on back ofwafer-paper labels. Turn overcarefully and place onto candybar. Lightly smooth to attach.

9. Roll out leftover gray fon-dant. Cut out irregular strip forwrapper edge. Fix to wrapperand fold over. Pinch to shapetorn end. Covering exposedcandy and labels, airbrush wrap-per edge silver. Add shading withstrokes of black airbrush color.

10. To make the maggots, rollout snakes of leftover ivory fon-dant. Cut into 3/4 to 1 inchlengths for maggots. Pinch ends.Roll tip of modeling tool aroundmaggots to mark segments.Curve maggots. Airbrush ivorycolor. Let dry. Insert into candy.Scatter maggots around.

—”Twisted Cakes” (HarperDe-sign, 128 pages, $19.99)

———RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Makes 24 cupcakes2 1/2 cups cake flour1/2 cup cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup butter, softened2 cups sugar4 eggs1 cup sour cream1/2 cup milk1 teaspoon red food color2 teaspoons vanilla extractCream cheese icing:8 ounces cream cheese,

softened4 tablespoons butter, room

temperature3 cups confectioner’s sugar,

sifted2 teaspoons vanilla extract1. Preheat oven to 350 de-

grees. Sift flour, cocoa powder,baking soda, and salt into a largebowl. Set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer,beat butter and sugar on mediumspeed until fluffy. Beat in eggsone at a time.

3. Mix in sour cream, milk,food color and vanilla extract.Slowly beat in flour mixture onlow speed until fully blended. Donot overmix.

4. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined cupcake pans (use blackcupcake liners for Halloween)and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, oruntil toothpick inserted in centercomes out clean. Cool com-pletely before frosting.

5. For the frosting, use anelectric mixer to blend the creamcheese and butter until creamy.Scrape down sides with a rubberspatula. Mix in sifted sugar, a lit-tle at a time, until creamy. Addvanilla and beat until fluffy.

—”Twisted Cakes,”(HarperDesign, $19.99, 128pages)

———VANILLA CAKE

Makes 1/4 sheet cake3 cups cake flour3 teaspoons baking soda1 cup butter, softened2 cups sugar3 eggs1 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract1. Preheat oven to 350 de-

grees. Grease a quarter-sheetpan and line it with parchmentpaper.

2. Sift flour and baking sodainto large bowl and set aside.Using a large electric mixer onmedium speed, blend togetherbutter and sugar. Beat in eggs,one at a time. Beat in flour mix-ture, alternating with milk, untilfully blended. Mix in vanilla.

3. Spoon batter into preparedsheet pan. Bake for 40 to 45 min-utes or until a toothpick, in-serted in the center, comes outclean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

———DECORATOR’S BUTTERCREAM

ICINGMakes 41/2 cups2/3 cup shortening2/3 cup unsalted butter2 teaspoons clear vanilla ex-

tract (you may substitute regularvanilla extract but icing will beoff-white)

1 1/3 dashes salt6 1/2 cups confectioner’s

sugar, sifted3 tablespoons milk1. Using an electric mixer,

beat the shortening and butteruntil blended.

2. Blend in vanilla and salt.Add sugar, a cup at a time, beat-ing on medium speed.

3. Add milk slowly, then turnmixer to high speed and beatuntil fully blended.

—”Twisted Cakes” (HarperDe-sign, 128 pages, $19.99)

5APRESS DAKOTANlifeFriday, 10.26.12

ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net

NEWS DEPARTMENT: news@yankton.net

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Saturday, The Third of November Two Thousand Twelve

At two o’clock Saint Luke’s Catholic Church

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Cards & Gifts may be sent to: Benjamin & Sylvanne Bartunek

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Swensen Auction Sunday Oct 28 th 12:30

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listing of item with a lot more by sale time.

Vehicles: 94 Cadillac Deville, 95 Chevy Lum. APV, 78 GMC P/U w/snow blade. Motorcycles: 85 Honda Goldwing Limited, 01 Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter,

Boat and Trailer

Carnival Rides

Guns: Remington 700 270 Win w/scope, 22 Caliber rifle w/ scope, 2 20 gauge Mossberg and gun case. Shop: Welders and welding equipment, Lots of tools (big and small), Generators, Drill press, Mixing Vat and accessories..

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Madsen Auction Service (Auctioneers)

Gary Madsen 605-638-0643 • Jim Brady 670-9638

Hazen Bye 605 670-0422

Creepy Halloween Candy And Food Confections

LAURA A. ODA/OAKLAND TRIBUNE/MCT

Oakland Baker Debbie Goard poses for a photo with her newest book"Twisted Cakes" at her kitchen studio in Oakland, Calif., Oct. 16, 2012.Behind her is a cake called "It's a Boy"inspired by the movie "Eraserhead"on display.

LAURA A. ODA/OAKLAND TRIBUNE/MCT

Oakland Baker Debbie Goard's red velvet “Stabbed Cupcakes” featuredat her studio in Oakland, Calif., October 16, 2012. Goard's specialty isghoulish cakes, like scary clown faces, bloody arms, Siamese pig heads,and maggot infested chicken parts.

LAURA A. ODA/OAKLAND TRIBUNE/MCT

Oakland Baker Debbie Goard's "Chicken Leg with Maggots"cake com-plete with a meat packing label from "Cannibal's Choice" is photographedat her kitchen studio in Oakland, California, October 16, 2012. Goard'sspecialty is ghoulish cakes, like scary clown faces, bloody arms, Siamesepig heads, and maggot infested chicken parts.

LAURA A. ODA/OAKLAND TRIBUNE/MCT

Oakland Baker Debbie Goard's rat meal cake inspired by the movie "What-ever Happened to Baby Jane" sits in front of another cake of a gravestonein her kitchen studio in Oakland, California, October 16, 2012. Goard'sspecialty is ghoulish cakes, like scary clown faces, bloody arms, Siamesepig heads, and maggot infested chicken parts.