Spooky Halloween Ghost Cake Food

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 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.

HALLOWEEN GHOSTS

Steps:

• Butter, then line a 30 x 20cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Tip in the marshmallows, then melt very gently for about 10 mins, stirring regularly to make sure they don't stick.
• Once smooth, stir in the cereal until all of the grains are coated. Spoon the mix into the tin, then press down to make it flat and smooth. Chill until cool and set. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• Make the ghost shapes two ways. Cut the cake into rectangles, then use a sharp knife to round off the tops and zig-zag the bottoms. Or, to make flying ghosts, stamp out circles about 9cm across and use a sharp knife to divide into teardrop-shaped ghosts. Cut pieces of leftover cake to make arms, if you like.
• Carefully push a lolly stick into the bottom of each ghost. Put onto a cooling rack. If you've made arms, stick them on using a little white chocolate, then spoon over more chocolate and paint it over and down the sides of the ghosts with a pastry brush. Leave to set. Pipe on eyes with the plain chocolate or icing.