Holiday Gingerbread Cookie Cake

Steps

• 1

  Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans.
• 2

  In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, ginger and cinnamon with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly between pans (2 cups each pan). Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• 3

  Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheet). In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, water and egg until soft dough forms. (If dough is too sticky to roll out, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.)
• 4

  Roll dough on lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Cut with 1-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet. Cut and bake remaining dough. Allow cookies to cool completely. Decorate 14 cookies with white and red cookie icing. Reserve remaining cookies for another use.
• 5

  Place one cake layer top side down on serving plate. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on layer; top with second cake layer, top side up. Using metal spatula, frost side and top of cake with thin layer of frosting to make a crumb coat; refrigerate 30 minutes to help set. Remove from refrigerator; frost side and top of cake with second layer of frosting.
• 6

  Using photo as a guide, decorate top of cake with shaved almond bark and sides and top of cake with cookies.