Halloween Party Cake
This delicious chocolate-studded Halloween traybake may be more treat than trick but it's the perfect bake to feed a Halloween party crowd.
Introduction
Hosting a Halloween party? This too-cute-to-spook traybake is the perfect centrepiece for your table spread. The fluffy vanilla sponge is studded with colourful chocolate beans, topped with sweet buttercream and decorated with white chocolate ghosts. Feel free to customise the cake with a personalised chocolate message!
Ingredients
| For the cake: | |
|---|---|
| 350g | unsalted butter, room temperature |
| 350g | white caster sugar |
| 2 tsp | vanilla extract |
| 4 medium | eggs, room temperature |
| 350g | self raising flour |
| 200g | chocolate beans (I used M&Ms for bright pops of colour) |
| For the buttercream: | |
| 400g | salted butter, room temperature |
| 750g | icing sugar |
| 2 tbsp | milk |
| purple food colouring | |
| For the decoration: | |
| 200g | white chocolate, melted |
| Chocolate writing icing |
Essential kit
You will need: a 30x20cm traybake tin.
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Grease and line a 30x20cm traybake tin with greaseproof paper.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time with 1 tablespoon of flour.
Add the remaining flour and fold in until smooth and combined. Transfer to the baking tin, spread out evenly, and then scatter the chocolate beans on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until risen and springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean). Leave to cool completely.
To make the buttercream, first beat the butter until soft and smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and add the milk. Beat well until smooth and combined. Mix in a few drops of purple colouring to dye the buttercream a lilac shade.
Spread the buttercream over the cake and then use the chocolate writing icing to write your message in the middle (get creative!). Next dot teaspoons of melted white chocolate around the top of the cake and use the back of the spoon to spread them into ghost shapes. Add the ghosts’ eyes and mouths using the chocolate writing icing.
Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to set the chocolate, then slice and devour!
Reviews
From the book: Chocolate Overload!
Chocolate Overload!
