Has anyone made a pinata cake before? The only instructions I can fine look like home-made mounds of chocolate, but I'd like to have it look cleaner, like this: http://www.serenadechocolatier.com/images/Shop_Cart_PIN.jpg
Any ideas how to do the "shell"?

Here's a blog with directions. http://cathrynjupp.com/blog/?p=190

You just make a chocolate shell inside a bowl large enough to fit over your cake layer and the goodies covering it.
That one looks flat, so I assume it uses a vertical sided cake pan.

Ok, that's what I did (only I did it in white choc) but now how do i release it, especially without breaking it? I don't work with chocolate very often (as you can probably tell)...

If you used a coating like almond bark, it should release if you put it in the refrigerator for a little.

Did you use real chocolate? If you didn't temper it, that may be your problem. Untempered doesn't retract and sticks, you may need to break the edges a bit to get it out, sorry.

You can try setting it in some warm water (like releasing Jello molds) and nudging it sideways gently with your hand until it spins.

hmmm... i used white chocolate chips, but if that doesn't come out well, I do have almond bark, so I can just make another with that. I just don't like the taste of that as much, but I'll take what I can get. Thanks