I made a curly chocolate cake for my daughter's graduation party that was beautiful. The recipe included ingredients for a chocolate cake from scratch, but I used a box mix instead. The amount of curls the recipe makes will completely cover a layer of cake that is baked in a 10" x 2 1/2" round pan.

I made the curls about a week ahead of time and kept them cold. The process is time-consuming and can be frustrating until you get the knack of it, but the reward is a gorgeous cake.

To make curls to cover the size layer I mentioned, you'll need two and a half 8-ounce packages of semi-sweet squares (20 one-ounce squares).

1. In a heavy 1-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt 5 squares of chocolate, stirring frequently, until smooth. Pour chocolate into a 10 1/2" x 15 1/2" jelly roll pan, scraping all the chocolate from the saucepan with a rubber scraper. With the spatula, spread chocolate to the edges of the jelly roll pan, covering the entire bottom; layer will be very thin. Refrigerate until firm but not brittle, about 10 minutes.

2. Place jelly roll pan on a damp cloth on work surface (cloth will prevent pan from sliding). Holding a teaspoon at a 30° angle, scrape chocolate in strips about 3" long, pushing into curls. The temperature of the chocolate at this point is critical. If it's too warm, it will stick to the spoon without rolling; too cold, it will snap. You will likely have to adjust the temp by refrigerating and bringing to room temperature often. When the temp is just right, the chocolate will easily roll into glossy curls about 3/4" to 1" wide with feathery-looking edges. Using a toothpick, transfer each curl to another pan or tray; refrigerate after making all the curls from that pan of chocolate.

3. Repeat process 3 more times with remaining chocolate.
4. When ready to decorate the cake, frost the layer with a cocoa or chocolate-flavored buttercream icing. Using a toothpick for transfer, carefully press each curl into icing, completely covering the layer. Refrigerate at this point if not serving right away.
5. When ready to serve, hold a powdered sugar-filled sieve above the cake and lightly dust the curls with sugar for a pretty accent.

Good luck with your cake!