Description
Celebrate Halloween with this spooky and delicious Halloween Witch Cake. Featuring moist layers of chocolate cake with a luscious green-tinted vanilla frosting, decorated with whimsical witch hats and sprinkles, this festive cake is perfect for holiday parties and gatherings. The rich chocolate flavor combined with creamy sour cream ensures a tender crumb, while the vibrant frosting and creative decorations bring a fun, magical touch to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups sour cream
- 1-1/2 cups water
Frosting:
- 1-1/4 cups butter, softened
- 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup 2% milk
- Green gel food coloring
- Black gel food coloring
Decoration:
- 4 ounces black candy coating disks, melted
- Assorted black sprinkles
- Sanding sugar
- Pearls
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms of three 8-inch round baking pans and line each with parchment paper. Grease the parchment to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and packed brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. This step incorporates air into the batter for a tender cake.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition to ensure a smooth batter.
- Incorporate Chocolate and Vanilla: Beat in the melted and cooled semisweet chocolate along with the vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate Adding Dry Ingredients and Sour Cream: Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Beat well after each addition to ensure even mixing and moistness.
- Add Water: Slowly beat in the water until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and enough 2% milk to achieve a spreadable consistency. Remove 1-1/2 cups of frosting and set aside.
- Tint the Frosting: Tint the majority of the frosting with green gel food coloring to your desired shade. Tint the reserved 1-1/2 cups frosting with black gel food coloring for decoration.
- Level the Cake Layers: If the cake layers have rounded tops, carefully trim them with a serrated knife to create level surfaces for stacking.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread 2/3 cup of green frosting evenly over it. Repeat with the next layer(s), stacking them as you go. Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the remaining green frosting.
- Create Witch Hat Decorations: Place melted black candy coating in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe witch hat shapes onto waxed paper and allow them to set until firm.
- Decorate the Cake: Top the cake with assorted black sprinkles, sanding sugar, and pearls. Use the black tinted frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe decorative stars on top of the cake.
- Final Assembly: Just before serving, gently stand one witch hat on top of the cake. Adhere the other witch hats and black pearls to the sides of the cake by gently pressing them into the frosting for a festive look.
Notes
- To ensure even baking, rotate the pans halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter for better mixing and texture.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- For a deeper chocolate flavor, consider using Dutch-processed cocoa powder along with melted chocolate.
- If desired, substitute 2% milk in the frosting with heavy cream for a richer texture.
- The witch hats can be prepared a day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cake)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
