Hallowen Cake

 

Ok, may be too late since Halloween Party was yesterday .. but I keep posting the picture, since that was a first time ever Halloween event I ever attend. And that was a first time ever I bake and decorated a Halloween cake, too. A lot of effort to made those and still look messy !! eew, who wants to see ' a neat cemetery ' cake anyway ? LOL

The basic cake was an almond-chocolate cake, decorated with a milano cookies for headstone, white-candy ghost, pumpkin candies

Almond-Chocolate Cake
1 cup all purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup almond powder
1/4 tsp salt
9 large eggs - separated, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

For Glaze
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy (double) cream

Sugar Syrup :
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions :
Preheat oven 350 F, line the bottom of 12x18inch baking sheet with parchment paper

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Stir in almond powder, set aside.

Using a stand mixer, beat the yolks, and 1 cup of sugar on medium high speed until the mixture is pale and thick , about 5 minute. Transfer to large bowl.

Wash and dry the mixer bowl, beat the eggs white on medium speed until they start to foam, add a third of remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the whites are soft peaks but still look wet. (not too dry, please...)

using a spatula, carefully fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture, the batter will very thick. Fold in the melted butter.

Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet and using an offset frosting spatula, spread it as evenly as possible. bake until the cake is puffed , about 25 minute or less depend on your oven. Let cool completely on a wire of rack.

Meanwhile , make the glaze. Place the bittersweet chocolate into a bowl. In a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat the cream until small bubbles appear, the pour over the chocolate, whisk together by hand until the chocolate melted. Let cool to the consistency if stiff mayonnaise.

Cut the edge of the cake to make it even looking cake. a little part of top cake. Brush the cake with the syrup. Spread the chocolate ganache on the top of cake, and spread around the edges. Don't be too picky, little bit messy is just perfect for this type of decoration cake.

Decor the cake with some Halloween decoration
1. I made a tomb head with milano cookies, I trim a little bit , and write the sign with chocolate melted. With a knife, cut a slits into cake and insert decorated cookies into slits. Crumble the cake with Oreo cookies.

2. For ghost , I used a pretzel stick as support, and drawing a ghost with white-candy melt.

3. Use your imagination to make your Halloween cake more pretty and spooky in the same time.