Friendly Flaming Ghost Cake (for Halloween)

This isn't a recipe but a method of decorating that is so darn cute! I meant to post this last year but forgot.

Start with a 9x13 cake of your own creation and cut it like so: Basically the top of one end is rounded to form the top of a ghost shape, and these cut pieces are flipped around to form the ghosts "arms".
I made this image to show the basic idea:


The ghost is iced in your favorite white icing, and then you can decorate a face using candy corn, red hots, M&Ms - whatever you like...except the eyes are made by using eggshells that have been washed and had the membrane removed. So the eyes are like little half-eggshell cups.Place a cube of sugar inside each eggshell. When you are ready to serve the cake, pour 1/2 teaspoon of FRESHLY OPENED lemon extract onto each sugarcube. Turn out the lights, light the sugar cubes, and they flame up really nice! The ghost looks like he has fiery eyes. It sounds weird but it's very impressive! The icing around the eyes will get a little melty, but it's worth it for the effect! I make this every year!

Here is a scan of the photo that originally appeared in The Detroit News along with this recipe. I taped over it to save it onto a recipe card.

Karen, the kids will want it every year. It is so damn cute. About a week before I plan to make it I have to start being really careful when I crack eggs so I can get just the right matching set of "eyes". It's a tradition. I cut this recipe out of the paper about 20 years ago and still love making it.

Oh - the lemon extract is much more flammable if it's freshly opened. It loses potency over time, so do a trial run in an old shell a day ahead of time to make sure the extract will give you the desired effect when you serve the cake.