Ghost Cakes Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• For the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat six 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cake mixes and salt. Whisk on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream, eggs and 2 cups of water. Mix on medium speed until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the vanilla extract. Mix again until no streaks of the dry ingredients remain.
• Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Tint one bowl of batter with the neon green food color and tint a second bowl with the orange food color. Add the food color a little at a time until a bright hue is achieved. Leave the last bowl of batter plain (white).
• Divide the plain white cake batter among the prepared pans. Spoon a little green and orange batter into each pan and swirl the colors together with a skewer or butter knife. Bake the cakes until they are lightly browned and a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely. Level each cake layer using a serrated knife or a wire cake leveler.
• For the green vanilla buttercream: Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar on low speed in the bowl of an electric mixer. When the mixture is combined, increase the speed to high and whip until light in color, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and add the vanilla extract. Beat again until the buttercream is light and fluffy, about another 3 minutes. Add milk or cream if the mixture is too thick to spread or pipe.
• Place 1/4 cup of the buttercream in a small bowl and cover with a damp towel. Tint the remaining buttercream with the neon green food color. Add a little at a time while beating until a vibrant hue is achieved. Drape a damp towel over the bowl so the buttercream doesn't dry out.
• Use the green buttercream to fill the cake layers and to apply a thin crumb coat to the outside of the cake. Use an offset spatula or bench scraper to even the buttercream. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill until the buttercream is firm, about 15 minutes. When the crumb coat layer is well chilled, apply a second layer of green buttercream and smooth it using an offset spatula or bench scraper. Chill while you prepare the black chocolate drip topping.
• For the black chocolate drip: Place the candy melting wafers and heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave at 100% power for 1 minute. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute longer. Gently whisk together until the mixture creates a smooth, glossy candy ganache. Let the mixture cool slightly.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spoon the ganache over the cake, pooling it in the center of the top first, and then using the spoon to gently push some of the ganache over the edge to create a drip effect. Allow the cake to stand until the ganache is set, about 15 minutes at room temperature.
• For the rice puff ghosts: Use kitchen-dedicated scissors to trim the rice paper into roughly ghost-shaped pieces. Make varied shapes of ghosts with and without arms. Each rice paper round should yield about 2 ghosts, giving you at least 12 from all 6 wrappers.
• In a large saucepan or an electric skillet, heat the sunflower oil to 350 degrees F. Using tongs, place the rice paper ghosts in the oil. They will instantly puff, wrinkle and twist in the hot oil. Remove the puffs to paper towels to drain and cool completely, about 5 minutes.
• Dab a paint brush into the piping gel and dot it onto the head of the ghost puffs. Place the eyeballs on the rice paper. Allow the candy to set about 10 minutes before using to decorate the cake.
• Place the reserved white vanilla buttercream in a disposable piping bag. Use dots of buttercream on the backs of the ghosts to adhere them to the outside of the cake. Some of the ghosts will adhere without additional buttercream when placed on the black drip.
• Insert a wooden skewer into the top of the cake leaving about 2 inches sticking out from the top. Place a ghost puff on each side of the skewer standing upright. Use buttercream to anchor them together.

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.

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.