Description
Create a spooky ‘poisoned’ apple Halloween cake featuring rich cocoa sponges layered with creamy soft cheese icing, topped with homemade toffee-coated apples and decorative chocolate trees for a festive and eerie dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 200ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 350g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 300g light soft brown sugar
- 284ml pot buttermilk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 25ml (5 tsp) red food colouring gel
- 3 large eggs
Decoration
- 3 red apples
- 200g caster sugar
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 75g dark chocolate
- 50g bourbon creams, finely crushed
Icing
- 150g salted butter, at room temperature
- 400g icing sugar
- 200g tub full-fat soft cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C (fan 160°C). Grease and line the bases and sides of two deep 20cm cake tins with baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients for the cake: Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Stir in the light soft brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of fine salt, mixing well to distribute evenly.
- Combine wet ingredients for the cake: In a large jug, combine 200ml vegetable oil, 284ml buttermilk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 4 teaspoons of red food colouring gel, and 50ml water. Crack in the 3 large eggs and whisk everything until smooth and well combined.
- Make the cake batter: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix which could toughen the cake.
- Bake the cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare apples for toffee coating: Remove the stalks from the 3 red apples and insert wooden skewers firmly in their place, pushing about halfway into the fruit to secure for dipping in hot toffee. Line a baking tray with baking paper for placing the finished toffee apples.
- Make the toffee: In a medium-large saucepan, combine 200g caster sugar, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, and 50ml water. Warm the mixture over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar dissolves, gently swirling the pan but not stirring to avoid crystallization.
- Cook toffee to hard crack stage: Add 2 tablespoons golden syrup. Increase heat to medium and gently boil for 4-5 minutes until the toffee reaches 150°C on a sugar thermometer or achieves the ‘hard crack’ stage (test by dropping a teaspoon into cold water: it should harden and become brittle immediately).
- Coat apples in toffee: Holding each apple by the skewer, dip it carefully into the hot toffee, turning to coat completely. Lift out and let excess drip off, then place on the lined tray. If toffee sets while working, gently reheat to soften.
- Remove skewers from apples: Once toffee is set but still slightly soft, gently wiggle and twist the skewer to ease it out without cracking the toffee coating.
- Prepare icing: Beat 150g salted butter and 400g icing sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add 200g full-fat soft cheese a spoonful at a time, then beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Slice cooled cakes: Slice each cooled sponge horizontally to create four evenly sized layers, using a serrated bread knife and a 0.5cm guideline for evenness.
- Assemble the cake: Sandwich the sponge layers together by spreading a few tablespoons of icing between each. Then spread remaining icing thickly over the top and sides. Use a palette knife or icing scraper to smooth and create slight ridges on top and around the sides. Chill the cake for 1 hour.
- Pipe chocolate trees: Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Melt 75g dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Transfer to a piping bag (or freezer bag) and pipe 15-20 chocolate tree shapes of varying sizes onto the paper using a template drawn underneath. Chill for 15 minutes until set firm.
- Decorate the cake: Spoon crushed 50g bourbon creams into the center of the cake. Arrange the prepared toffee apples on top, pressing gently into the icing to secure. Add more crushed biscuit around the edges and press remaining around the cake base in a wavy pattern.
- Attach chocolate trees: Press the chocolate trees gently onto the sides of the cake and arrange more around and in between the apples on top, securing them by pressing lightly into the icing and sponge.
- Serve: Slice the finished ‘poisoned’ apple Halloween cake and serve chilled or at room temperature for a dramatic seasonal treat.
Notes
- Freeze the cake undecorated for up to 3 months for best quality.
- Do not stir sugar mixture while boiling to prevent graininess in toffee.
- Use a sugar thermometer to accurately test toffee stage or perform cold water test.
- Ensure sponge layers are evenly cut for professional look and stable stacking.
- Melted chocolate should be near room temperature when piping for better shape control.
- Remove apple skewers carefully after toffee sets but is still soft to avoid cracking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 18 slices)
- Calories: 375 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
