Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned

Why Make This Recipe

Halloween is a time for fun, creativity, and some spooky treats. This Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned is a delicious and festive dessert that will impress your friends and family. With its dark chocolate layers and cute ghost decorations, it perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween while being absolutely delicious! It’s easy to make and is sure to be a hit at your Halloween celebration.

How to Make Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned

Ingredients

• 350 g flour
• 360 g sugar
• 60 g cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 15 g baking powder
• 220 ml coffee
• 240 ml buttermilk
• 420 ml rapeseed oil
• 5 large eggs
• 500 ml heavy cream
• 250 g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa content)
• Black food coloring
• 2 egg whites
• 100 g sugar
• 2 springform pans (18 cm diameter)
• 1 food coloring pen
• 30 edible eyes (e.g., from icing)
• 1 cake board

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C (338 °F) with both top and bottom heating.
2. Grease the springform pans with a little soft butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Sift the ingredients to avoid lumps. Add the salt and baking powder and mix with a whisk.
4. Separate two of the five eggs. Set the egg whites aside. Place the yolks in a second bowl. Add the remaining eggs, coffee, buttermilk, and oil. Mix the wet ingredients with a whisk.
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for about 50 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness. Let the layers cool completely after baking.
6. While the layers cool, prepare the chocolate cream. In a small pot, bring the cream to a boil. Meanwhile, finely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and stir until fully melted and combined. Add black food coloring for a dark effect. Allow the chocolate cream to cool in the fridge overnight.
7. Beat the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form, adding sugar gradually until fully dissolved. Fill a piping bag with the meringue and pipe ghost shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dry the ghosts in a 100 °C (212 °F) oven with the door slightly open for 1 to 1.5 hours. They are ready when they no longer stick and can peel off easily.
8. Once the ghosts are done, turn off the oven and leave them in the cooling oven to dry further.
9. Use a food coloring pen (or melted dark chocolate with a toothpick) to add eyes to the cooled ghosts.
10. To assemble the cake, trim the dome tops off the layers and cut each one in half horizontally.
11. Whip the chilled chocolate cream until stiff. Place the first cake layer on the cake board and spread less than a third of the cream over it. Add the next layer and repeat until you reach the top, ideally using the smooth bottom of one layer. Save a golf ball-sized portion of cream for the top.
12. Spread the remaining cream on the top layer and place the ghost decorations on top. Press the edible eyes into the excess cream around the ghosts.
13. Refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to serve.

How to Serve Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned

Serve this delightful Halloween cake on a spooky-themed cake board, perhaps with a few plastic spiders or cobwebs around it.

How to Store Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned

Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. Make sure it is covered well to keep it fresh, and it can last for up to three days.

Tips to Make Halloween Cake – The Spirits I Summoned

• Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for even mixing.
• For a stronger coffee flavor, use coffee instead of water in the cake batter.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing milk with a splash of vinegar.

Variation

You can experiment with different fillings, like raspberry or pumpkin spice, or add layers of cream cheese frosting for a new flavor twist.

FAQs

Q: Can I make the ghosts a day in advance?
A: Yes, you can prepare the ghosts a day ahead and store them in an airtight container.

Q: What can I use instead of rapeseed oil?
A: You can use any neutral oil like sunflower or canola oil in place of rapeseed oil.

Q: Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?
A: Yes, you can use milk. Just add a teaspoon of vinegar to it and let it sit for a few minutes to mimic buttermilk.