Description
This Halloween chocolate brownie cake is a spooky and delicious treat perfect for festive celebrations. Featuring a rich dark chocolate brownie base decorated to resemble a haunted house, complete with turrets, windows, a door, and ghost and spider details made from fondant and icing. The recipe combines classic chocolate brownie baking with creative decorating using chocolate frosting, Matchmakers, fondant icing, and colorful writing pens, resulting in a fun and impressive dessert that serves 24 and keeps well for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Brownie
- 400g unsalted butter, cubed
- 400g dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
- 6 large eggs
- 500g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
To Decorate
- 300g chocolate flavour frosting
- 2 x 120g packs Matchmakers
- 100g yellow ready-to-roll fondant icing
- 5 biscuits (4 Nice and 1 halved jam sandwich cream)
- 20g white fondant icing
- 50g black fondant icing
- White and yellow coloured writing icing pens
- 3 purple Smarties
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (180°C, fan 160°C). Line a 33 x 23cm baking tin with nonstick baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Melt Butter and Chocolate: In a heavy-based saucepan over low heat, gently melt the cubed butter and dark chocolate pieces, stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Mix Eggs, Sugar, and Vanilla: In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla extract for 1 minute until the mixture is pale and just combined.
- Combine Chocolate Mixture: Stir the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture until fully incorporated.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in the plain flour and salt using a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake the Brownie: Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The top should be pale brown and dry, and the center should no longer wobble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
- Cut Out House Shape and Turrets: Place the baked brownie on a board with the short edge facing you. Cut a 4 x 16cm vertical rectangular strip from the top left corner. Cut this piece in half lengthwise to make two 8cm pieces, then cut each piece diagonally to form four triangular turrets. Set aside. Next to the first cut, cut a shorter 4 x 18cm rectangle to form the turrets’ base.
- Assemble Turrets: Piece together the diagonal triangle pieces to create two turrets and arrange them at the top of the main brownie piece in the desired house shape.
- Ice the Brownie: Using a palette knife, spread a thin, even layer of chocolate flavour frosting over the entire brownie surface to act as glue for decorations.
- Decorate Roof with Matchmakers: Cover the right roof turret with full-length Matchmakers, setting one aside. Cover the left turret with halved Matchmakers. Repeat this design at the lower roof indentation. Use smaller broken Matchmaker pieces to cover the middle roof area halfway across. Place the reserved Matchmaker vertically between the turrets to separate them visually.
- Create Door: Cut one Matchmaker to 7.5cm length and arrange it vertically as the door’s central panel. Place three additional Matchmakers on each side, angling the outer edges downward to create an arched door. Press them gently onto the frosted brownie to fix in place.
- Prepare Windows: Roll out yellow fondant icing to 2mm thickness. Cut pieces slightly larger than the biscuits. Lightly moisten the icing and carefully apply it onto the biscuits, folding and pressing edges underneath to seal. Roll out white fondant icing to 2mm thickness and cut a small ghost shape approximately 3 x 6cm. Moisten and attach the ghost onto one window. Roll half the black fondant icing to 3mm thickness and cut 2mm strips to create windowpane details. Attach these strips onto the yellow fondant on the biscuits, then stick the decorated windows onto the brownie where desired.
- Make Ghost and Spider Decor: Take remaining black fondant icing; halve it. Shape one half into an egg shape for the spider’s body; roll the other half into a thin sausage and cut into four even lengths. Lay these parallel, pinch in the middle to form spider legs, and attach the body on top with a dab of water. Attach the spider to one of the windows. Use icing offcuts to create a door handle and ghost eyes.
- Draw Cobwebs and Details: Use white writing icing to draw eyes on the spider and cobweb designs on the windows and roof. Decorate further by sticking the purple Smarties where mini spiders are desired. Use yellow writing icing to draw spider legs, eyes, and to add numbers on the door.
- Store: Keep the decorated brownie cake in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days. The undecorated brownie can be frozen for later use.
Notes
- The undecorated brownie freezes well and can be baked ahead of time.
- Be sure not to overbake the brownie; it should be slightly soft in the center with no wobble for the best texture.
- Use a palette knife to apply frosting thinly to avoid a heavy coating that masks the brownie’s texture.
- Fondant icing sticks best when slightly moistened with water; use a brush to apply sparingly.
- The Matchmakers add both decoration and structure to the turrets and roof.
- Use writing icing pens carefully to create fine details like spider legs and cobwebs.
- Store the cake in a cool place away from moisture to prevent softening or melting of decorations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/24 of cake)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
