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Chocolate Halloween cake

Chocolate Cake Halloween Style

I've tried to make this cake as simple as possible. If you have a favourite chocolate cake recipe use it here. Measurements are in Australian cups
5 from 3 votes
Course Halloween
Cuisine cake
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 500 ml strong coffee 2 cups
  • 600 gm caster sugar 3 cups
  • 250 gm butter chopped
  • 60 gm dark cocoa 6 Tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon bi carb soda
  • 4 whole eggs beaten , large
  • 450 gm plain flour 3 cup
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

Icing

  • 300 gm butter softened unsalted
  • 350 gm cream cheese softened
  • 240 gm pure icing sugar 1 1/2 to 2 cups
  • 1 vanilla bean sifted
  • 1 drop orange colour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Glaze

  • 120 gm dark chocolate
  • 50 gm butter unsalted
  • 2 Tablespoons liquid glucose

Instructions
 

  • Makes 2 x 6 inch / 15cm cake tins ( mine are from Aldi). Lined with baking paper and sprayed or buttered. Oven temerature approx 170C or 375F
  • Put the first 5 ingredients into a medium pot big enough to hold all the ingredients, heat and stir till just melted. Take off the heat and cool.
  • Once cool enough add the eggs straight into the pot and mix in well. Add the sifted flour and baking powder. Stir very well by hand with a whisk.
  • Pour into the two lined tins and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
  • Cool. Once cold cut off the rounded tops and split the cakes in half, making 4 equal rounds of cake .
  • Icing
  • Beat the butter first till very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the cream cheese and beat again till light. Add the sifted sugar and then gradually the colouring till you get the colour you want. The icing should be fluffy and light.

I used 150gm(5.3oz) frozen raspberries boiled with a little sugar(2Tsp) and water (2Tsp) to paint onto my cakes before assembling- this is optional

  • Lay out the 4 rounds of cake and paint with syrup if using. Choose a flat one for the bottom ( save the very flattest bottom cake to use on the top) Put onto a cake base ready for decorating
  • Spread 3 Tablespoons of icing onto each cake layer. Use some of the icing to very thinly coat the cake, reserving at least 2 cups for finishing the outside. Chill till set ( 35min)
  • Finish the cake by spreading the remainder of the orange icing onto the outside . Chill overnight preferably but as long as possible.

Glaze

  • Put the chopped chocolate, glucose and butter into a double boiler ( a bowl over hot water) or the microwave and melt ( 1/2 minute increments)
  • Cool this as it will melt the orange icing if it is too hot.
  • When cooled pour about 1/2 onto the top of the cake and spread gently with a pallete knife, letting a bit at a time drip down the sides. Add a little more as necessary. The icing will set fast so dont take too long. Tap the cake from the base and the icing will start to smooth out.
  • Decorate with anything else you like. Good Luck