It’s October first, and the countdown to Halloween begins.

Candy is dandy, but we’d prefer ice cream cake. You can make a simple ice cream cake and decorate it with Halloween candies (recipe below), or order this Haunted House Cake from Baskin-Robbins.

Make a Halloween ice cream cake an annual friends-and-family tradition. You can start with this store-bought. In the years that follow, challenge friends or family members to come up with their own ideas. You can even supply individual undecorated cakes and have a decorating contest.

RECIPE: THE EASIEST ICE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SLICE pound cake in half, creating two long pieces.

2. TOP the bottom half with ice cream. It’s easiest if you purchase ice cream that’s in a rectangular carton. Cut away the front of the carton and then slice pieces of ice cream to fit atop the cake.

3. ADD the optional surprise on top of the ice cream layer. Place top layer on cake and place in freezer.

4. COLOR the frozen topping, one tub at a time, with orange food color: Mix in a few drops each of red and yellow. If the color is too dark for your liking, add more yellow color; if it’s too light, add more red. You have the second tub as a backup if you need more frosting.

5. FROST the cake and decorate with candies. Return to freezer.