This is fun to make– for the kids– and with the kids– for Halloween, of course.
Creepy-Crawly Cake ~
~ adapted from Martha Stewart ~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat 2 9-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray. Line them with parchment in the bottom of pans. Coat or grease with butter or spray the parchments, as well. Dust pans with flour.
Whisk together 1 cup cake flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Beat 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature. Beat with the butter until pale and fluffy 1 1/3 cups sugar. Add 3 eggs, beating in 1 at a time. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Reduce speed to low setting and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with
1 cup buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
Beat in 5 ounces semisweet melted (cooled– having melted before mixing batter) chocolate.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When out of the oven, cook in pans for 30 minutes.
To make the ganache, bring 2 cups heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chopped chocolates of 8 ounces semisweet and 8 ounces bittersweet with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Set to thicken for 40 minutes. Transfer 1 and 3/4 cups ganache to a bowl. Fold in 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate malt balls. Reserve remaining ganache.
Spread ganache-malt ball filling on the top of one cake; place the other cake over the first cake. Refrigerate until set, 15 minutes.
Pour remaining ganache over the cake; slightly microwave ganache if need be. Let it drip down the sides of the cake, and into a cut portion of the cake, removing a wedge for appearance– stick into the cake, on the cake and onto the sides with rubber cockroaches. Cockroaches can be ordered online for $3 for 10 at fakebugs.com.
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