Description
This Halloween Witch Cake is a festive and delicious layered chocolate cake perfect for spooky celebrations. Moist chocolate cake layers are layered and frosted with a buttery vanilla frosting tinted in eerie green and black colors. Decorative witch hats made from black candy coating and sprinkled accents complete the holiday look, making this cake a showstopper at any Halloween party.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups sour cream
- 1-1/2 cups water
Frosting Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups butter, softened
- 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup 2% milk
- Green and black gel food coloring
- 4 ounces black candy coating disks, melted
- Assorted black sprinkles, sanding sugar and pearls
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the parchment. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted and cooled semisweet chocolate and vanilla extract. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream into the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Finally, beat in the water gradually until combined.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and enough 2% milk to reach your desired frosting consistency. Remove about 1-1/2 cups of frosting and set it aside. Tint the remaining frosting with green gel food coloring until you reach the ideal shade of green. Tint the reserved frosting with black gel food coloring.
- Assemble the Cake: If the cake layers have domed tops, level them by trimming with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a serving plate, spread with approximately 2/3 cup of green frosting. Repeat with the second layer, then add the last layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining green frosting, smoothing it evenly.
- Decorate: Put the melted black candy coating into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe witch hat shapes onto waxed paper. Allow them to set completely. Top the cake with assorted black sprinkles. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the black tinted frosting and pipe decorative accents onto the top of the cake. Just before serving, gently stand one witch hat on the cake’s top and attach the remaining witch hats and black pearls to the sides by gently pressing them into the frosting.
Notes
- Make sure eggs are at room temperature to help create a smooth batter and even baking.
- Allow cake layers to cool completely before frosting to prevent frosting from melting.
- Adjust milk quantity in frosting gradually to achieve the perfect spreading consistency.
- You can prepare witch hats ahead of time and store them in an airtight container until decorating.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning the frosting consistency.
