Bat Cake

Meringue Buttercream
Beat the egg whites salt and cream of tartar. Slowly add in 13 cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
In a medium saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 13 cup water and place on mediumhigh heat. Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear.
Maintain at mediumhigh
heat until temperature reads 240F.
Drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately. Run mixer until meringue is cooltepid.
Switch to a paddle attachment. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time. Add vanilla.
Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
Separate into bowls. Dye a gradient of color using orange and brown food coloring.
For the Pumpkin Buttercream
Beat the butter salt and pumpkin together in the bowl or your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Sift in the sugar spices and instant espresso and beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar if needed to thicken consistency.
For the Bats
Print out 3 pages of bat outline. Arrange them side by side. Add a sheet of parchment paper
Melt the candy melts and transfer to a piping bag. Snip off the tip.
Pipe the outline of each bat. Set aside to dry.
For the Assembly
Pipe pumpkin buttercream between each layer. Cover completely smooth with a bench scraper and off set spatula. Transfer to the fridge to chill.
Give each batch of the Italian meringue buttercream a quick whip. Transfer each color into piping bags and snip off the tips.
Starting with the darkest orange pipe each color of Italian meringue in a gradient. Smooth
 with tools and transfer to the fridge again.
Carefully separate bats from the parchment paper. They can be very fragile!
Attach bats by gently pressing onto the buttercream.