Creepy Cockroach Halloween Cake

October 17, 2014

Have you done the litter box cake for Halloween party? Cute ghosts? Pumpkin cupcakes? Spider webs? Here is a cake that is easy to do (for those that are decorating challenged) and one I have never seen served at a party. Crunchy malt balls in the ganache center of this chocolate cake will leave guests wondering if the “cockroaches” are real.

Creepy-Crawly Cockroach Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/13 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/12 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the Ganache:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups chocolate malt balls, coarsely chopped
• Rubber cockroaches for garnish

 Directions

 For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment, and coat with spray. Dust with all-purpose flour, tapping out excess.
3. Whisk together flours, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low.
7. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
8. Beat in melted chocolate.
9. Divide batter between pans, and smooth tops using an offset spatula.
10. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pans set on wire racks for 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, remove parchment, and let cool completely.

For the Ganache:

1. Bring cream to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Pour over chopped chocolates and butter in a bowl.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk until smooth and shiny.
5. Let stand until thickened, about 40 minutes.
6. Transfer 1 3/4 cups ganache to a bowl, and fold in malt balls; reserve remaining ganache.
7. Transfer 1 cake to a serving platter (top side up). Spread ganache-malt ball filling on top, and top with remaining cake (top side up).
8. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
9. Cut a large wedge from cake to serve on another plate. Pour remaining ganache (reheat if necessary) over cake and wedge, and let drip down sides and into cut center of cake.
10. Garnish cake and platter with rubber cockroaches.

This recipe, found on MarthaStewart.com and just starting to make its way around Pinterest, is so new that you can be the first to show off your creepy crawly baking skills.

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