Halloween is all about the thrill of finding a perfect costume, creating DIY decorations and throwing an October 31 party. But after the last 18 months, we’re itching to make this one special and have some food-themed fun so let’s make this one extra special. So why not use your opportunity to bake yourself up one incredibly spooky cake to make yours or your little monsters Halloween party go with a bang? This suggestion is sure to make an amazing centrepiece at any dinner party or even if you just fancy baking something delicious because let’s face it, we don’t need much of a reason to enjoy something tasty and sugary as the nights start to draw in.
So without further ado check out our ideas for autumnal baking to make little (and big) ghosts and ghouls squeal with delight this Halloween.
Apple traybake
This is a classic autumnal cake that’s a great way to use up a glut of apples. Eating or cooking apples will do for this simple crowd-pleaser. A simple, casual cake like this one is an everyday but delicious cake. It’s quick to prepare (no mixer), contains only a dozen or fewer ingredients and isn’t fancy – so you can eat it with your fingers any time of day. The apples are optional but they give the dish some flavour. This snack will last longer than though (it will keep for a few days in an airtight container so can be made in advance); don’t worry about being precise about peeling or chopping the apples this cake isn’t about presentation — it’s all about the taste.
First up make a basic sponge mix for which you will need;
- 225g softened butter
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ lemon, zested
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g self-raising flour
- splash of milk
- Optional fillings of lemon curd, jam, lightly whipped cream
- icing sugar for dusting
To make this cake an apple cake you will also need:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 medium apples – peeled, cored, and chopped into 3/4-inch chunks
- Set the oven at 180 degrees celsius and then butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line it
- In a bowl combine your wet ingredients; whisk together well before adding in cinnamon & nutmeg
- Next sprinkle your apples liberally with brown sugar and then add to the cake mix
- Now scrape your batter into your greased baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done
Now to make this cake spooky
Halloween wouldn’t be the same without some slime! And pureed apples are the perfect ingredient to use as your ‘Slimer from Ghostbusters’ type goo. You now have two options to make your apple traybake a Halloween zinger you can either cut the cake into individual pieces, scoop out a teaspoon of cake and add your pureed apple or make follow the steps above but bake as individual cupcakes instead.
The trick? If you want to make your goo look extra slimy, simply add some green food colouring. The Twist? You can spook up your cakes as you please. We’d start with white icing and then add a spiders web with some black icing or, let your imagination run wild! We’d suggest you check out some cake decoration ideas from the guys over at Anges-de-sucre who have made some pretty crazy cakes that are perfect for any occasion.
