Ghost Cakes Food

MARSHMALLOW WEB GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8-inch round cake pans and two 5-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Beat until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions.
• Place 2 cups of cake batter in 4 separate bowls. Tint the first bowl with the green food color, the second bowl with 1 tablespoon of the purple food color and the third bowl with the orange food color. Combine the cocoa and water in a small bowl, stirring well to create a paste, then add it to the fourth bowl of batter. Fold in the black food color and stir together well until the batter is dark and no streaks of white batter remain. Pour one color of batter into each of the prepared 8-inch pans.
• Tint the leftover batter with the remaining 1 tablespoon purple food color and place 1 cup of batter in each of the prepared 5-inch pans.
• Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center, about 25 minutes for the 5-inch cake layers and 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch cake layers. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and the pans and turn them out on wire racks to cool.
• For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Begin on low speed until crumbly, then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Place about 2 cups of buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch piping tip; set aside for later use. Tint the remaining frosting with the black gel food color.
• Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife or a cake leveler. Cover each cake layer with a small amount of black frosting. Begin with the black chocolate cake layer on the bottom, followed by the purple, then the green and ending with the orange on top. Cover the entire cake with black frosting using an offset spatula. Cover a purple 5-inch cake layer with frosting and stack the second on top. Cover with frosting using an offset spatula. Refrigerate both cakes until the frosting is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Stack the 5-inch cake tier on top of the 8-inch cake.
• For the marshmallow web: Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until they puff and lose their shape. Stir well until deflated. Let the marshmallow cool slightly. Dip fingers (or gloved hands for easy cleanup) into the marshmallow mixture and stretch until thin and web-like. Wrap the marshmallow around the cake. Repeat the process until the marshmallow web effect covers both tiers of the cake. Let stand until firm, about 10 minutes.
• For the assembly: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the reserved bag of frosting to pipe a 2- to 3-inch mound of frosting. This will be a ghost body. Top with a second 1-inch mound of frosting for the ghost head. Repeat the piping process, varying the sizes of ghosts for visual interest, until you have about 20 ghosts. Add 2 black sugar pearls to each ghost face using a pair of kitchen-dedicated tweezers. Use a single black confetti sprinkle to create mouths on some of the ghosts. Transfer the pan to the freezer and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Use an offset spatula to transfer the ghosts to the edges of the cake.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Use kitchen-dedicated scissors to snip the firm marshmallow webbing before cutting into slices.

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Spoon evenly into 12 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.
• ARRANGE cupcakes on large serving platter or tray to resemble a ghost as shown in diagram (http://www.kraftfoods.com/pdf/GhostCupcake.pdf). Spread with frosting. Use decorating gel to outline the mouth on the cupcakes.
• Finely crush 3 of the cookies; sprinkle inside mouth.
• Place remaining 2 cookies on cupcakes to resemble eyes.
• To make a bigger ghost, double the amount of cupcakes you make.
• Store in refrigerator.

GHOST BARK CAKE

Steps:

• For the vanilla-buttermilk cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat four 7- or 8-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray. Set aside.
• Whisk together the cake mixes, flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a 4-cup measure, stir together the buttermilk, water, eggs and extract. With a hand mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl down and mix again. Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. Tint one bowl with the green food color and the other with the purple food color. Mix well until no streaks of white cake batter remain.
• Divide the green cake batter between two of the prepared pans, then divide the purple batter between the other two prepared pans. Fill each pan no more than three-quarters full. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes if using the 7-inch pans, or 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch pans. The cakes are done when they spring back in the centers when pressed. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely. Level each cake using a serrated knife or cake leveler.
• For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners' sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, add milk or cream to thin and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again for another minute.
• Place 2/3 cup of the buttercream in one bowl, and another 2/3 cup buttercream in a second bowl. Tint one bowl with the green food color. Tint the other bowl with the purple food color. Mix well until the colors are consistent. Transfer each color of buttercream to a separate piping bag fitted with a large closed star decorator tip. Set aside for later use.
• Add the black cocoa powder to the remaining buttercream. Beat until well blended; add milk or cream if needed to thin. Add black gel food color a little at a time while mixing, until you achieve a deep black hue (about 2 teaspoons).
• Place a green cake layer on a cake board. Top it with 1/2 cup of the black buttercream and spread to cover. Repeat with a purple layer. Continue until all of the layers are used. Coat the entire cake with a thin coat of the black buttercream. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Coat the entire cake a second time with a generous amount of the black buttercream. Smooth the top of the cake and partially smooth the sides using an offset spatula. Drag a cake comb with 1/2-inch teeth around the sides of the cake repeatedly until smooth ridges of buttercream appear. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
• For the syrup spray and sprinkle décors: In a small kitchen-dedicated spray bottle, combine the syrup and water. Shake well until thoroughly combined. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spray a fine coat of syrup spray around the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes, or until very firm and slightly tacky to the touch.
• Pour the sprinkles in a large baking pan. Shake to form a single even layer of sprinkles. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Place a cake board on top of the cake. Hold the cake with each hand on the cake boards and lightly roll the cake in the sprinkles. Repeat this process until all of the ridges are coated with sprinkles. Turn the cake upright and brush away sprinkles in the recesses of the frosting using a kitchen-dedicated art brush. Press eyeball candies randomly onto the frosting ridges.
• Using the bags of reserved green and purple buttercream, pipe swirls of alternating colors around the top edge of the cake. Immediately add sprinkles to the swirls. Refrigerate the cake while you make the ghost bark.
• For the ghost bark: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Pour the purple melted candy onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Smooth with the back of a spoon. Tap the pan on a work surface to even the candy and remove any spoon trail marks.
• Transfer the white melted candy to a piping bag with a tiny hole snipped in the end. Pipe large ovals of white candy onto the purple candy while it is still melted. Drag a chopstick through each candy oval to create ghostly trails and arm shapes. If the candy starts to set, place it on the baking sheet in the oven until re-melted, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the black melted candy to a piping bag with a tiny hole snipped in the end. Pipe eyes and a mouth on each ghost shape. Sprinkle Halloween nonpareils around each ghost. Refrigerate the bark for 15 minutes, or until the candy is solid.
• Use a knife to score the bark around the ghost figures and break apart with your hands. Place pieces of the candy bark upright on top of the cake to decorate. Serve slices of the cake with pieces of the ghost bark.

EASY GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat one 9-inch round cake pan and one 9-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each with parchment paper; lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl until combined. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until the batter is completely combined, smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are a light golden brown and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Meanwhile, beat the butter in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix the milk, vanilla and salt in a liquid measuring cup, then add it to the butter. Mix slowly on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until very smooth. Add half of the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape the bowl again with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on medium-low speed until fluffy and well combined, about 5 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and mix in black gel food coloring until very pigmented. Set both bowls of frosting aside at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake.
• For assembling: Once the cakes have cooled completely, place the square cake, domed-side down, in the center of a large cutting board or platter (this will be the body of the ghost). Place the round cake domed-side down and cut in half with a sharp knife into 2 half-moons. Place one half-moon above the square cake with the cut-side adjoining the body (this will be the head of the ghost). Repeat with the other half-moon below the body (this will be the bottom of the ghost from which two arms will be cut). Next, cut a scalloped edge of 3 curves, each about 2 inches wide, into the bottom of the ghost, keeping the cake scrap intact as one piece. Then cut two oval-shaped arms from that cake scrap. Place one arm on each side of the ghost's body. There should be minimal cake scraps left; enjoy or save for another use.
• Use a little white frosting to help adhere the head, bottom and arms to the body. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining white frosting, smoothing out the top with an offset spatula. Transfer the black frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small round pastry tip; pipe two eyes and a mouth onto the ghost. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

GHOST CAKES

Steps:

• Make the angel food cake batter according to package instructions. Place in the mini Bundt pan and bake according to package instructions.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, liqueur and vanilla until very smooth.
• Place the angel food cakes on a cooling rack set atop a sheet tray. Using a spoon, pour enough glaze over the top of the cakes to drip partly down the sides. Sprinkle with raw sugar to garnish. Allow the glaze to set about 30 minutes before removing the cakes from the rack to serve.
• Special equipment: 12 count mini Bundt pan.

CANDY-FILLED GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8 x 3-inch cake pans line the bottom of each pan with parchment.
• Whisk flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
• Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring and vanilla (Take care: it may splash.) Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.
• Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add the mixture to batter with the machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.
• Divide batter among cake pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft. Add the powdered sugar, cream cheese, salt and vanilla. Beat on medium high until light and fluffy about 5 minutes.
• Once the cakes are cooled, cut the tops of the cakes level, reserve the scraps. Divide each cake evenly into two layers. Using a 3 or 3 ½ inch cookie cutter, punch out the center of two of the cake layers. Reserve the scraps.
• Place one of the whole cake layers on the cake board or plate and spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top. Place the second whole cake layer on top. Pipe or spread a ring of frosting on the outside of the top layer and add one of the punched layers on top. Pipe or spread a layer of frosting on top of the ring of cake and add the final punched layer. Apply a thin coat of frosting around the sides of the cake.
• Line the bowl with plastic wrap letting it come up over the sides. Add a little bit of cream cheese frosting to the bottom of the bowl and spread it up the sides. Place pieces of the cake scraps into the bowl to approximate layers, adding frosting as needed. Make a 3 to 3 ½ inch hole in the center of the bowl (to match up with the hole in the center of the layer cake). Place the bowl in the freezer for 3 hours. Place the cake in the fridge. Keep the remaining frosting covered at room temperature until ready to finish assembly.
• Remove the cakes from the fridge and freezer. Using the plastic wrap to help, pull the cake dome out of the bowl. Remove the plastic wrap.
• Fill both holes with the candy. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top ring of the layer cake. Flip the dome of cake on top. To prevent the candy from falling out of the top, I recommend placing a piece of cardboard over the bottom of the cake dome, flipping it upside-down, using the cardboard to prevent spillage then sliding the cardboard out once the dome is almost touching the base cake.
• Using the remaining frosting to smooth out and even the entire cake. Place cake in the fridge or freezer to firm while you get the decorations ready.
• Roll out the black fondant to ¼ inch think, spread the top with sanding sugar then use the rolling pin to press it inches Cut out desired eyes and mouth.
• Roll the white fondant, using cornstarch to prevent sticking, to ¼ inch thick in a roughly 16-inch circle.
• Remove the cake from the fridge. Roll the fondant around the rolling pin and place over the cake. Using corn starch on your hands, work the fondant down from the top, letting it drape and form ghost like pleats.
• Use water to adhere the eyes and mouth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base of two 16cm (or smaller) sandwich tins and a 1.2L pudding basin. Mix the self-raising flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and beat in the golden syrup, eggs, oil and milk with an electric whisk, until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the pudding basin until it is ¾ full, then divide the rest between the two sandwich tins and bake for 25-30 mins until the cakes are risen and firm to the touch. The sponge in the pudding basin may need longer depending on whether the basin is metal or ceramic. Cool for 10 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, to make the icing beat the butter until it is creamy, beat in the icing sugar a little at a time, beat in the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp water.
• Cut the pudding basin cake in half horizontally and sandwich it back together with a little icing. Put a round sponge on a cake board or plate, sandwich the next one on top with a little icing. Sandwich the pudding basin cake onto the top of the round cake. If the bottom cake sticks out beyond the bottom of the pudding basin cake then trim the top edge of the lower cake at an angle to make the sides flatter. Ice the outside of the cake with a thin layer of chocolate icing, using it all up.
• Roll the fondant out on a surface dusted with icing sugar to make a sheet shape that is big enough to cover the whole cake. Drape it carefully over the iced cake and press it on around the top to make your ghost, with ruffles around the edges, cutting off the excess round the base. Colour some of the excess icing black by kneading in the food colouring, or use the black fondant icing. Roll it out to a few mm thick. Cut out eyes and a mouth and stick them on.