Sorry. That is a bitpresumptuousto just assume I can call my cake beautiful.
Trust me, I'm just trying topretendI am funny.
Anywho, I have been thinking about thisparticularcake for about a month now, but just never felt good enough to make it. Well, I am feeling better and better everyday, and I suddenly had the urge to tackle this cake!
Ahhh! Is it scary orwhat?
I kid.
I have made a cakesimilarto this before, but I really wanted to attempt ganache again. I wanted to see if I could make it shiney and beautiful like my culinary hero Ina Garten.
I did. But then I used waaaaaayyyyyy to much and it got allgloppy.
Ganache
16oz bittersweet chocolate
12 oz heavy cream
Chop chocolate into fine chips (or use a bag or chips) place in heat safe bowl. Heat cream to a soft rolling boil then pour overchocolate. Stir and cover with saran wrap. Let sit anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.
But now for the fun part.
Or, the "boo" tiful part.
I tried a brand new recipe for a sweet marshmallow buttercream to make some whimsy little ghosts on my cake.
Frosting
2 sticks butter (I use unsalted)
2 cups powder sugar
1 jarmarshmallowfluff (7 oz)
2teaspoonsclear vanilla extract
In a bowl, add room temp. butter and sugar together. Mix until fluffy. Add marshmallow and vanilla, and mix well.
I used a bit of my glaze icing and added some scary expressions to the ghosts.
Ok, ok, so they arent scary. My kids even laughed at me.
But I sorta liked them.
The super scary and halloween inspired inside is red velvet.
I gotta tell ya, I was on the HUNT for a good red velvet. I didnt want one the burned your eyes out it was so red, (we all know I can make those) I just wanted one that would taste good.
What I discovered was that a good red velvet cake needed to have a few key ingredients to be yummy. Cocoa, buttermilk, and vinegar. If you have some variation of these ingredients, you will have a decent tasting cake!
I used a version of this one on Food Network.
Red Velvet Cake
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 2 ounces red food coloring
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together over parchment. Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans.
And there you have it! A boo-tiful and fun cake that is sure to be the hit of any Halloween celebration!
It is boo-tiful! Can you send me a piece? Please?
a-dorable!! and I am thinking that the marshmallow buttercream must be DEEEELICIOUS! Eh??
Is there a house near you for sale? Because I SERIOUSLY want to live near you. Really near, like in your basement. (That sounds creepy.)
This cake is INCREDIBLE! I love the ganache, the ghosts, the red velvet, everything!!!
I leave you with a song, “Won’t you be, won’t you be, won’t you be my neighbor..” (courtesy or Mr. Rogers).
So CUTE! I love it
This is THE cutest Halloween cake…ev-ah!
Very cute and clever! I love to bake for the crew at work and this will be one i will make as an extra. i never can have too many cakes at my work. Thanks so much. Halloween cakes are so much fun to make.
ADORABLE!!! I especially enjoyed the little ghosts, and then I saw that it was red velvet. Clever
So cute! I love how the ghosts turned out. What tip or technique did you use to get them on the cake?
So glad to hear you’re feeling better and better!
This is beautiful and the little ghosts remind me of a choir. :] Very cute!
It’s so BOO-TIFUL!!!!! I love it
Love those cute little ghosties on top!
You’ve topped yourself with this one Amanda! Simply the cutest Halloween cake I’ve ever seen!!! No joke!!
Super fun!
I think it is very boo-tiful!! LOL My husband has already put in a request for me to make this cake! He saw the picture and was like, I want that! Glad you are feeling better.
So cute! Did you pipe the ghosts? Or am I just brain-dead tonight? (Zombies, ghosts . . . .)
Wow!!!! This is so impressive….well all your fun creations are impressive! Martha Stewart better make a run for it because I think you will quickly be taking over her job! How did you make your ghosts on top of your cake? I so have to know, because I am hosting a family friendly Halloween party this month and I think this would be a huge hit…
This cake is fantastic! So creative. Love it.
What kind of white icing did you use under the ganache? I am sooo making this for my son’s 4th birthday party next week!
YUM!
I need to figure out what Halloween cake I am doing for my Ruby’s birthday! I think I am in denial that October is here. And I think I am in denial that my baby is turning 3! And that her big sister is turning 7. And that it is OCTOBER!!!! Did I say that already?n It’s OCTOBER!
I think this is just WAY too cute! There’s so much marshmallow going on in my life right now. I made smores pie the other day but this is so much cooler!
Amanda, I LOVE IT!!! Glad you’re feeling better!
Those ghosts are so adorable! <3 It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside hehe!
Another beautiful cake! Keep em coming
OMG this looks absolutely amazing! I want to just dive right in, I love red velvet cake. When I first saw the pic I assumed you purchased the little ghosts at a confection shop, can’t believe you made them, how did you do it?
This cake looks too yummy to eat!
This is a seriously boo-tiful cake. You have iced it so incredibly neatly too. What did you use to get such a perfect
Finish on the buttercream?
This is incredible! It’s so cute and decorated to perfection!
Mind blowing. Every single thing I’ve seen from you so far, I’ve left the blog thinking “I WANT TO MAKE THAT!”
Great question Grace! I just grabbed a large piping bag, filled it with the marshmallow frosting, then cut off a big tip. The easy part was just piping them out!
You truly amaze and inspire me with with your creativity….this cake is gorgeous! Those ghosts are so not scary-they are like the CUTEST things ever. Gorgeous photography! xo
Beautiful Amanda!!! It’s like a piece of art.
Amanda, one more question, what type of icing did you use on the base of the cake. I am starting to make more cakes and this looks fantastic, so smooth.
Btw, thank you so much for the reply!
Just when I think you can’t possibly get any more creative, you come up with this. It is the cutest Hallowe-en cake I’ve ever seen. What a delightful treat.
Love this cake, what a great addition to any halloween party! It is absolutely “boo” tiful! Love those marshmallow ghosts!
Amanda – it’s people like you and blogs like this that make me look good! I am now officially my circle’s Martha Stewart. Thanks for sharing, and I’m glad you’re starting to feel better. I can totally sympathize.
What?! No, SO booootiful and very very very scary. Oh, those ghosts are making me shudder with their scariness! Eek! Well, now wait a minute, let me get a little closer. Okay, yes. Yes. They are cute. Ridiculously cute. Sorry. Kids are right. Ridiculously cute.
I love this cake. Simple – but PERFECT. I want to make it. NOW.
super cool! you’re my hero!
I LOVE your cake!!! Awesome. I can’t stop looking at it!!
Shelly
Hi there, I followed you from (flickr) girl japan, this is just utterly amazing. It’s a bit hard for me to find marshmallow cream, the kind I can find from my home country, but do you think I can adapt by just using marshmallow? I could melt it down possibly?
That looks so amazing! To be honest, what really attracted me was the white icing. It looks absolutely perfect! *_* Snow white and flawless!
Gorgeous! I’m so glad you’re feeling better, and got such wonderful news at the doctor. That ganache looks waaayyy too inviting!
Blessings…
what a super cute cake!
Really, I am completely speechless.
First the cake. Then the ghosts (how adorable are they?). Then the red velvet cake inside???? OMG.
That’s so cute! The ghosts are adorable
WOW!!! Amanda, I just came across you in the Tasty kitchen and found your blog. I feel really excited right now, and even just made my husband come look at your boo-tiful cake. (he wasn’t as excited as I was- but what does he know?) You are incredibly talented and I am excited to plow through your entries. I can allready tell that I will be making your cake for a school party- I will let you know how it goes!
XO, Heather Christo
by the way- my daughter was VERY excited when she saw your cake!!
This looks really cute! Did you pipe them directly onto the cake or did you pipe them on parchment and transfer them over? I might try this, but I imagine messing this up somehow.
I think it’s beautiful too..or shall i say boo-tiful? lol! Love the ganache and the fact that it’s a red velvet cake inside!
I love how you decorated the cake! And the ghosts on top are perfect for Halloween.
Love the red velvet on the inside – a great Halloween-y touch!
That cake is AMAZING!! Beautiful and those little white guys are soooo cute on top, and the red cake — LOVE it all!!! Your pictures are really nice too.
Your cake is amazing! I love it!
I love this idea. Your cake looks so elegant.
You are killing me. This idea is just AWESOME. Now I have to make this cake for my little girl’s day care party.
Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! I’m so excited I found your blog! I followed a link on Bake at 350 and can’t wait to add you to my list of blogs I love
Your cake is adorable–I absolutely love the little ghosts! *:)*
What did you frost the rest of it with? The actual cake before the ganache went on?
Found my way over from Bake at 350, and I am so glad I did! You have an awesome collection of deliciousness! The cake is perfect.
I’m glad your feeling better and back at doing what you love. By the way I love this idea. Could I use the ghost frosting as a filling? And do the ghost harden?
This is AMAZING! I want to make this cake, stat! Is it Halloween yet???
Definitely Boo-tiful- I love how that ganache looks and those ghosts are so cute!
I love the ghosts!!! So cute and it looks delicious too;)
I have one question for you, did you frost your cake with the
marshmallow frosting and you also used it for the little ghosts?? I think it is SO cute and I want to try to make it for a Halloween party I am going to. Would you mind letting me know?
You can email me at: Pauline@Tinkertoys.net
Thanks for sharing this AWESOME cake:)
Pauline
Oh my God.
No that isn’t Boo- or Beautiful.
This is amazing, stunning, awesome great, cool, gorgeous… however!! I really really love it.
Such a great idea, such a great Cake!:)
Lovely regards,
xx, Jana from petit fournil de paris.
Oh please – not presumptuous at all girl. This cake is a work of art. And love the red surprise inside.
Amanda, you really inspire me to bake better and funner things!
Alas, as i’m baking in Romania, i have never seen nor heard of jars of marhmallow fluff until now. Any ideas for replacing that ingredient with regular pantry things? Thanks for all the inspiration,
Eliza
these are wicked good! thanks for sharing!
I love the gloppiness of the ganache! : ) It makes it more Halloween-ie….. um… that doesn’t sound right….. Halloweenish… there we go.
If you want your ganache even more shiny, you can add a bit of corn syrup, and a tad of butter. (Butter will make the ganache more rich and flavorful.)
-Miso
That cake is a scream!
S.W.A.K.
What an awesome idea!! This cake is GORGEOUS!!
I attempted my first Tuxedo Cake awhile back (I made it into cupcakes) and they turned out so beautiful. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be.
My ganache recipe came from the Tuxedo Cake recipe in The Pastry Queen by Rebekah Rather. It’s really easy and turns out great every time.
I hope you continue to feel well!!
I love this!!!! I have got to try that frosting!! I love Halloween themed cakes! This is totally my favorite!
THat is a super awesome cake! I am going to make it for my daughters halloween party1 How fun!
I made this cake last night… the ganache was to die for, I loved it! My cake turned out a little on the dry side, not too sure what I did wrong, but I would definitely try it again!
With the frosting & ganache it’s very rich, and so yummy!
Thanks for the recipe
As always YOU. ARE. AWESOME! Love it!
Ciao Amanda ho preso spunto dalla tua Rainbow cake e ho confezionato la torta di compleanno per mia figlia con qualche “variazione” se hai piacere è a questo link: http://sunflowers8.blogspot.com/2010/10/si-conclude-in-dolcezza.html
Sei bravissima, complimenti ^_^
Sonia
You are truly amazing. Mother, soon to be mother, baker..Whew!!! I love how classy the cake looks. How did you get the glaze drip on the cake, but not all the way to the bottom!!
I love this!! You never cease to amaze me
It IS Boo-u-tiful!!! I am loving this, they are the cutest ghosts I have ever seen!
I am in love with this cake. I think I’m going to try to make it for the hubby’s birthday tomorrow!!! So excited!
I’m havign a Pumpkin Carving Party for all my single friends this month, and I think this cake might just have to make an appearance! You know I’ll take plenty of photos and let you know once I blog it =o) woo-hoo! Thanks for the awesome idea!
this cake is spectacular!!! I love it because it is gorgeous and totally do-able!
Did we ever get an answer on what’s under the ganache? Is it fondant?
This is one that I HAVE to do.. my family will simply LOVE it!! And the fact that I am kinda sorta stalking ganache and have been for the past year!
lol Yes, the question was answered, but as my commenting system doesnt let me insert answers below the specific question, it is often hard to find and understand. So I just respond to each question individually!
It is plain ole vanilla frosting below the ganache.
Okay…so I made the cake for my son’s birthday party last weekend. Turned out great! Though my ghosts were a little floppy! Check out my version: http://mmmmmama.blogspot.com/2010/10/vampire-weekend.html
the best part of this is that the innards are blood red. a close second is your more-adorable-than-scary batch of ghosts.
This is SPOOK-TACULAR!!(sorry, corny) One question, does it need to be refridgerated? I am traveling from AL to SC for Halloween and would love to bring this along, but can’t if it has to be kept cold. Thank you!!
Wow this cake is amazing
I am nowhere near as seasoned as you, baking is a hobby of mine but I am going to attempt this cake for a Halloween party at work. Hoping it comes out half as good as yours 
How did you apply the expressions to the faces of the ghosts?
Jen
This is so so so amazing!!
I am going to feature it on my blog soon — come on over and check it out
Jenny
http://www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com
I LOVED THIS ICING AND GANACHE!!!!! I didn’t get a photo of the cake before it was eaten, but here’s the leftover slice http://melindaj365.blogspot.com/2010/10/123-aka-it-was-good.html it’s on my 365 Photo Challenge blog. (and if you just go to melindaj365.blogspot.com and scroll down, you can see some carved pumpkins from the party) =o)
Thanks for the inspiration!
speaking of inspiration, you’re bat cake top with the tree and moon are what inspired my pumpkin that I carved =o) THANK YOU!!
I’m going to attempt to make this AWESOME Cake for the ladies that work for me.
wish me luck!
Carrie
I have a question.
Do I spoon or pour the Ganache on cake.
Are the ghost piped ontop of the cake?
Or do you pipe them on parchment paper and transfer to cake?
Do the ghost harden up.
I’ll be traveling with this cake.
I need all the help I can get here.
Thanks
Carrie
OMG this looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it. This is the first time I am seeing your blog and its beautiful, love the pictures!!
DAHHH!!! this cake is supppper cute. not scary at all!
This is not scary at all but very beautiful! But this can be perfect for Halloween! Thanks for the idea.
Loved your boo-tiful cake.. i used that concept to make mini cupcakes that turned out so adorable.. i can’t wait to see what everyone at the party thinks of them… you can check out the pics of your idea on my little blog at artcabana.blogspot.com
thanks for the inspiration!
I tried the front the frosting you used for the ghosts. It is absolutely wonderful. I love it.
This is really neat. I thought the ghosts were meringue-marshmallow fluff. I’m thinking big cupcakes in red velvet done the same way.Thanks for the inspiration!
This is a great cake! I featured it on Fun Friday Finds today. I hope you can stop by and grab a featured button if you’d like.
http://www.itsybitsypaperblog.com/2011/10/funfridayfinds-halloween-cakes.html
“Orange Velvet” would be amazing inside this! Or orange piped pumpkins on top!
I attempted to make this cake today, it doesn’t look as good as yours does though!!! I had a problem with my ghosts falling over, maybe next time a will add a little more powdered sugar to stiffen it up a bit.
Hello! I wanna make this for a Halloween party this saturday and just wanna check – the recipe for the buttercream frosting is enough to frost the entire cake and make the ghosts as well?
Kudos on how awesome it looks btw!!!
Wow! The cake looks amazing!
The link to the marshmallow buttercream leads me to the frosting recipe by Martha Stewart. Is this correct?
I am such a huge fan of your art (your baking is TRULY art!). This is my second year making this “boo” cake, and I can’t wait to bring it in for my colleagues tomorrow! It’s so SPOOOOKY!
Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes!
This is so cute! Love it! I much prefer cute ghosts over scary ghosts!
Thank you for the great tips et the wonderful recipe.
In the picture the ganache is dripping so gracefully it s almost artistic….sometimes when I poor it I get large non graceful drops that are not really nice to look at.
do you have a tip ? or an idea on how to control it ?
Thanks
Your creations inspire me more. Thank you for sharing them….
Hi there – I’ve been reading your blog for a while, but it’s my first time commenting. I want to bake this cake for my friend’s birthday, but was thinking of baking it in a 7×11 or 13×9 pan. Have you tried baking this recipe in a pan of either size? What would you recommend for a baking time?
Thanks!
I think eiher pan would be fine… maybe start checking the cake 5-10 minutes before the recommended baking time. It will take a litle bit less time to cook fully when in a larger pan, as I am sure you know!
Thanks for reading and God bless!
Thank you!
Are the ghosts just piped frosting? And I’m assuming the marshmallow buttercream is the frosting on the cake. I really want to make this for my daughter’s birthday. Should the cake be partially frozen before frosting? Any simple syrup poured on? I’d love to see instructions on how to assemble this cake!
This cake looks perfect for my daughter’s Halloween carnival cake walk. I may try to make the ghosts out of meringue, though. Once baked, meringue holds its shape quite well, and should be more stable for travel, I would think.
LOVE it!! Great idea with the ghosts. Looks too cute. Never thought I’d ever say ghosts are cute
And oh, pinned this for sure!!
It us simply very, very beautiful! Congrats, you have such nice ideas….
Your cake is fantastic, but how did you make your ghosts? Did you pipe them? I keep looking at them and can’t decide. Could you please let me know, as I really want to make them for my sons 4th birthday. Thank you.