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Gory halloween chocolate cake

Dr.Oetker's Gel Food Colours turn the Halloween Gory Chocolate Cake into a work of art, perfect if you're you’re whipping up tricks or treats.

Brought to you by Dr. Oetker

Gory? Check. Delicious? Check. Homemade? Check!

Dr.Oetker's Gel Food Colours can turn any bake into a work of art, so whether you’re whipping up tricks or treats with your kids this Halloween, the only thing that should hold them back is their imagination.

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You will need

For the cake:

220 g butter or margarine
220 g caster sugar
4 eggs (medium)
2 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan vanilla extract
170 g self-raising flour
50 g Dr. Oetker fine dark cocoa powder

For the chocolate buttercream filling:

250 g unsalted butter
450 g icing sugar
50 g Dr. Oetker fine dark cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan vanilla extract

For the decorations:

1 kg Dr. Oetker Regal-Ice Ready to Roll White Icing
250 g caster sugar
125 ml water
Dr. Oetker Bright Red Gel Food Colour

Instructions

For the chocolate cake:

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan oven 170°C)/350°F/Gas Mark 4. 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4Grease and line two 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins. Grease and line two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins. 

Cream the butter and sugar until really pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and Vanilla Extract whilst beating until the mixture thickens up. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until all combined.

Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean.

For the edible glass:

To make the edible glass shards, bring 250g of caster sugar and 125ml of water to a boil in a small high-sided saucepan, stirring, until sugar dissolves. 

Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until the mixture just starts to turn pale gold around edges. Remove from the heat, and immediately pour onto a rimmed baking tray. 

Working quickly, tilt the baking tray to spread the mixture to edges to make a very thin layer. Let it cool and harden.

For the chocolate buttercream frosting:

Place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar and then add enough milk / water to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. 

Sift and beat the cocoa powder in to the icing and use it to sandwich the two sponges together.Beat the butter in a bowl until soft. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. 

Add the Vanilla Extract and enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable.

Assembling the cake:

Remove the cakes from the tins once cool. Carefully trim the rounded tops off the cakes and slice each cake in half. Spread 3 cake rounds with 1/3 of the pink icing, and the remaining raspberry jam, then sandwich all the cakes together. 

Spread more icing smoothly round the side of the cake – running the warmed blade of a palette knife flat against the cake helps to achieve a smooth effect. Carefully trim the rounded top off one cakes and slice each cake in half. Spread 3 cake rounds with chocolate buttercream and sandwich all the cakes together.

Spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream around the sides and on the top of the cake with a pallet knife. Make sure this is a really thin layer so scrape off any excess and put the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden.

Roll the White Regal-Ice into a large circle around half a cm thick – make sure you add icing sugar to your work surface and rolling pin so the icing does not stick. Remove the cake from the fridge and place the icing on top, smoothing in upward motions with the palm of your hand – try not to use your fingers as this can dent the icing. When the icing touches the cake board, cut around the edge of the cake with a small sharp knife.

For the finishing touches, mix some Bright Red Gel Food Colour with a small amount of water to make a red liquid. Cut some large slash marks into your cake using a small sharp knife, then trickle some red liquid in each slash until it pours out. You can also add some splashes of red colour by dipping a pastry brush and flicking this directly onto the cake. Break the glass into shards and place in the top of the cake.