Halloween is just around the corner and it is a great excuse to get creative with your bakes. ( As if you need any more excuses that the excitement surrounding this year’s GBBO! I can’t wait for the final next week …eeekkkkkk) Because its also half-term, baking with kids around should involve easy recipes and loads of scope for little hands to get involved.
I decided to bake a delicious cake which, am sure little people will love to ‘help’ you bake, especially the chocolatey ‘graves’ that top that cake. This spookalicious Forgotten Graveyard cake depicts an old, derelict graveyard which most times lies forgotten outside a sleepy village. But on Halloween night, a strange grey slime starting sliding across the ground which has suddenly turned a blood red colour ….. all the old coffins are now surrounded by maggots that seem to be growing in numbers. The only witness to these horrors seems to be an old tree trunk and a rickety fence that is falling apart in many places… wait hang on.. what is that? A green alien hand or a zombie crawling out of the slime… who knows what will happen next….. 😉
Brrrr… 🙂 Am sure you and your little helpers can add more spooky effects to the cake! Just let their imagination run wild like I did. But first, let’s get to grips with the basics!
For my graveyard cake slab, I have followed a simple but brilliant Red Velvet cake recipe from here. Their triple-tested recipe is literally fool-proof so that folks like me can bake without worrying about any goof-ups. The only thing I have modified is the cream cheese frosting quantities to suit this particular bake. If you cannot find buttermilk use low fat pouring yoghurt, just add about 50 ml of water to bring up the total volume of buttermilk to 284ml
Halloween Forgotten Graveyard Cake – frosting
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Tray
- Hand held blender
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 300 gm Icing Sugar
- 250 gm Unsalted melted butter
- 250 gm Cream Cheese
Instructions
- Melt the softened unslated butter in the microwave for 30 sec
- Sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl
- Pourthe butter over it and mix well
- Add the cream cheese
- Using a toothpaste add 2 drops of black food colouring and with another toothpick, add 1 drop of ivory food colouring – they mix to give a spooky and slimy grey colour to the frosting
- Blend into a smooth paste with a hand blender for almost 4 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules are totally mixed into the butter and cream cheese
- To decorate the cake I only used a small amount and after my nephews had a go at decorating I slathered on the remaining slime all over the cake slab – made for a very happy 2 year old 😉
- Of you would rather not use up the whole buttercream, simply change the colour to anything you fancy and freeze – keeps for 3 weeks in an airtight box in the freezer
- To use thaw overnight in the refrigerator and blend for minutes to get the same texture again
- Once thawed use it all up, do not refreeze
For the chocolate coffins:
Chocolatey coffin shaped cake toppers
Ingredients
- 1 Milk chocolate bar
- Mixed nuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Break up the chocolate bar into a glass bowl and place it over a vessel containing boiled water
- Use a spatula to mix in a handful of roughly chopped mixed nuts into the chocolate
- If you want to use any strong flavours then use a bar of chilli or salted caramel flavoured chocolate or any flavour that takes your fancy
- Spoon mixture into coffin shaped moulds and allow to set in the refrigerator for atleast 20 minutes
- Once set, they should come off the mould pretty easily
- Place them on the graveyard cake however you like
- This mixture makes 6 coffin shaped chocolate cake toppers
To make the alien hand I used a tiny amount of green coloured sugar frosting and ‘painted’ nails using black food colour and a toothpick. For the tree stump I have used a Cadburys flake and for the chocolate fence surrounding the graveyard perimeter, I used mint chocolate sticks. A small amount of cream cheese frosting applied using a toothpick serves as edible glue to attach the sticks to the sides of Forgotten Graveyard cake. The ‘maggots’ on the graveyard cake are simply shaved chocolate curls.
What I really want to mention here is though that I used my new OXO non-stick pro cake tin and am very happy with the result. The tray is sturdy and my cake came off very easily, thanks to the two-layer coating which is PFOA-free, and ceramic-reinforced. This also makes this gorgeous cake tin scratch, stain, corrosion and abrasion resistant. I didn’t need to use baking parchment – which I find very fiddly. The reason the cake came off so easily was the beautiful micro-textured pattern which allows for even baking.
And after my cake completely cooled I moved it to my superb new OXO non-stick Pro commercial grade baking plate. This wide baking sheet gave me enough surface area, around the bake to decorate and display my creation, making it really easy to photograph it too. Spreading the grey ‘slime’ cream cheese frosting was a doddle thanks to the handy OXO bent icing wand.
Image courtesy OXO
Now if you are wondering how you can get your hands on these gorgeous OXO non-stick baking accessories, I have some exciting news for all of you. One of you can win a set of baking gear from OXO worth £50 as a special festive treat! How? All you need to do win this cool bakeware bundle worth £50 from OXO is to enter the giveaway below:
Good Luck!
CONGRATULATIONS to the winner Sidrah A and Thanks to everyone who participated!
Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:
- One lucky winner will be picked automatically by Rafflecopter.
- Deadline for entering this contest is 26th Nov’ 2017 midnight GMT.
- Entry is open only to residents of the U.K, except Scotland and Ireland.
- All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
- Increase your chances of winning by visiting daily and tweeting out the pre-recorded tweet, provided you have completed all other steps the first time when they enter.
- The giveaway prize as mentioned is a bakeware bundle worth £50 from OXO consisting of a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Tin, 11″ Balloon Whisk, 7 Piece Measuring Cup Set and a Bent Icing Knife.
- Neither OXO, nor I am liable for any damage of giveaway prize in transit.
- Please allow a minimum of 15 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The giveaway prize will be sent directly by OXO.
- The prize is as stated: it is non- transferable and no cash or any other alternatives are available.
- I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the steps mentioned above.
- The winner will be notified on 27th Nov’ 2017 on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the winner on Twitter via their twitter id. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and OXO to contact you via email id and share your details with OXO who will arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you, to have your name announced here on my blog post and on Twitter.
- If the winner fails to respond by 30th Nov’ 2017 then another winner will be chosen at Random.
*With thanks to OXO. *Sponsored posts help me keep my blog going and I can continue sharing fun recipe ideas with all of you.
NEED MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION TO GET BAKING?
Why not check out my other recipes here:
Tracey Peach says
I love baking cupcakes in all different flavours & different toppings
Tracy Nixon says
I love baking celebration cakes as I enjoy personalising them!
sam macaree says
brownies
Lisa Rowsell says
I love baking spongecake’s with cupcakes coming a close second.
Solange says
Chocolate cake.
Shobha Keshwani says
Perfect cake for Halloween .. very well made
valerie cooper says
chocolate fudge cake and coffee and walnut
Lyndsey Cooksey says
I love baking a gluten free coffee and walnut cake for the family. It’s one of our favourites!
Kate | The Veg Space says
What a fabulous cake! My two little ‘helpers’ would love getting creative with this one – spooky!
Jagruti says
You have done wonders here, really creative and amazing cake.
Hester McQueen says
Chocolate beetroot cake and roulades
Rose Stephenson says
All in one cakes – a whole lot less hassle
Carol Thomas says
I love baking Lemon drizzle cake and Farmhouse fruit cake. I also love baking scones. Took me years to find the perfect recipe for them. Now I have I am always baking them
Naila M says
I love making traditional cakes such as carrot cake, yummy 🙂
Deborah Mackenzie says
I love making Zebra Cake – it is a mixture of chocolate and vanilla and you put it into the pan to make it into stripes when you cut into it. The combination is lovely as it isnt as rich as just ordinary chocolate cake.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That would go down so well with children. They would just love it. Happy Halloween. Shared!
Jo Hutchinson says
I love baking Chocolate cake
Dannii says
What a fun cake! Perfect for a Halloween party and i bet kids would love to make it too.
Sue Johnson says
Victoria sponge with raspberry jam and cream
cheryl hadfield says
I love baking Christmas cakes
Sarah Forster says
Chocolate, always!
Fiona King says
Chocolate fudge cake
amy bondoc says
i love to bake toffee apple fudge cake nom nom
Fiona says
Carrot cake always goes down well here!
Lynne says
I love chocolate cake
Ray Becker says
Sponges mainly
Laura Milton says
Carrot Cake! Yum
Kim Jackson says
I love baking vegan brownies 😀
Felicity Williams says
I love to bake a homemade chocolate and orange cake – the smell is wonderful 😀
jessieg121 says
brownies!
christine shelley says
I just do traditional victoria sponges with buttercream
claire glace says
Banana and Honey cake……manyt hanks
Leila Benhamida says
Love baking an upside down pineapple cake. Love fruity flavours
Heather T says
Fruit cakes because I love anything that contains raisins
Angela Fitzjohn says
Carrot cakes always go very well for me.
Pamela Gossage says
banana cake
Ritchie says
Carrot cake.
Laura Jeffs says
I love baking carrot cake, my favourite! Yummy
Claire Simpson says
Got to be chocolate cake x
stuart hargreaves says
Ginger cake, then plenty of custard
Mary Lucking says
Carrot cake
sian hallewell says
I love baking almost any cake, got a particularly tasty sweet potato cake recipe
Judith MacInnes says
I love making anything lemony – I do a fab triple lemon one, which my husband loves. I’m also enjoying making bundt cakes at the moment – they look so impressive, even though they’re no harder than a simple sponge!
laura banks says
parkin cake
Rebecca Duncan says
My son has been diagnosed with a milk allergy so i’m currently practising with dairy free recipes
gemma blake says
I love making banana loaf and lemon drizzle!
Carole E says
Madeira cake
ashleigh allan says
Carrot cake!
Bob Clark says
As Yogi Bear would say – has to be chocolate cake
Jen A says
CArrot cake is one I really enjoy baking!
Lorraine Tinsley says
Victoria sponge cakes
melanie stirling says
Victoria sponge is my ultimate favourite.
Rich Tyler says
Chocolate Fudge Cake YUM!
Caroline Blaza says
My family love my Chocolate Cake x
Lori Darling says
I love making butterfly buns but with my family they don’t last long
Chrissy Harris says
My favourite to bake is sticky toffee cake as it’s super easy and tastes amazing!
Amy Wright says
Coffee and walnut cake
helen tovell says
A good old fashioned victoria sandwich
Milly Youngman says
I always love baking a tasty chocolate cake!
Kerry Kilmister says
I love making carrot cake with mascarpone topping
mary chez says
Lemon drizzle cake
Sanam Ali says
Carrot cake
katie smith says
Brownies
christine taylor says
I love baking and decorating cupcakes, small and sweet x
Emma H says
I love baking victoria sponge cakes.
Jade Hewlett says
Chocolate cake
Sarah Pybus says
Lemon Drizzle 🙂
Chanette Kennedy says
I love baking chocolate fudge cake. I love eating it even more though!
Hannah Rowley says
I love to bake a lemon drizzle cake
Mel Turner says
Christmas cake
Mel Turner says
Christmas cake
Kerry Taylor says
I love carrot cake, and carrots = healthy, right?!?
Lorraine Stone says
Carrot cake with a thick frosting on top.
abigail edkins says
Its all about the cupcakes for me
Emma says
NAnna’s Victoria sponge
m hines says
fairy cakes
Jade Pawley says
I love baking a good old Victoria sponge!
Gillian Turner says
Iced fairy cakes always go down well, a family winner
Fiona Martin says
Chocolate cake but it never lasts long in our house!
Mirjana says
I love to bake scones 🙂
tracey tibbs says
fruit cake
Corinne Henson says
Baking with the kids so manly cup cakes 🙂 x
jules eley says
toffee cake
June Lord says
A plain old Victoria Sandwich is my favourite.
Yolanda Davis says
i love making coffee cake
Ren Taylor says
Love anything chocolate flavoured…..also…I think you have an extra ‘e’ in your name on the rafflecopter instagram?
Mickie Bull says
Vicky Sponges!
Emma Rawlinson says
I love making chocolate marble cake
katie smith says
Chocolate cake
MICHELLE says
LEMON DRIZZLE 🙂
David Nicolson says
Victoria Sponge with loads of cream and raspberry jam
Lynsey Buchanan says
Lemon drizzle cake.
Emma Nixon says
Victoria sponge. Easy to make, great to eat.
Lisa Parker says
I love baking banana cakes x
Frances Sunshine Hopkins says
Rock Cakes – so easy and everything I make always come out looking like them
Beky Austerberry says
Chocolate cake because I love to eat it once baked.
Becky Duffy says
We like baking chocolate cake! Big chocolate fans in our house
Hali Kinson says
Love baking Brownie’s
purpleshoes says
chocolate brownies
Holly Beacher says
Probably red velvet cake or cheesecake! I’m not great at chocolate cakes but yours looks delicious!
linda june gill says
mary berry’s lemon drizzle cake ..awesome
Bex Allum says
I love making lemon drizzle cake.
Tracy Newton says
I love baking Victoria Sandwich cakes with lots of jam and buttercream
Stephanie Lear says
Chocolate cake is a huge favourite with chocolate butter icing and sprinkles for a colourful decoration.
Oli Marshall says
I really enjoy baking rich cakes like Red Velvet cake.
Maxine G says
my favourite cake at the moment is coffee and walnut cake
Sarah Parkin says
I love baking chocolate cupcakes with lots of butter icing!
misty says
lemon drizzle!
Helen Adams says
Lemon drizzle cake
Lesley Bradley says
A lovely calorie ridden gooey chocolate cake 🙂
lorraine kirk says
I love baking Be-Ro recipe Ginger Parkin.
Iris W says
My favourite to bake is Lemon drizzle it never lasts very long in our house though
Margaret Gallagher says
Lemon drizzle is always a favourite of ours
Any cake tastes great
Sue Harrison says
Lemon drizzle although I do a great coffee and walnut too
Jayne Kelsall says
i LOVE MAKING CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE FOR MY KIDS .X
Sarah Mcknight says
I love making carrot cake
Louise A says
Rich fruit cakes, especially Christmas cakes
ADEINNE TONNER says
I love baking chocolate cake with my family
Lynda Graham says
Carrot and Ginger cake with cream cheese frosting
And a cup of tea ….mmm!!!
Carole Nott says
love making chocolate cakes decorated with icing and cherries
ValB says
A Victoria sandwich cake with strawberry jam and cream filling
kayleigh Robinson says
Lemon drizzle cake I absolutely love any dessert and cake with lemons in.
Kat Allinson says
Victoria sandwich cake is my favourite
Michelle Carlin says
I like making Victoria Sandwich Cakes, but I like to change the filling, topping and flavouring.
helen w says
I love to make Marble cake a real favourite of the family
jennifer Hull says
I love sponges… I love fruit cake.. love baked rice… yes anything sweet and baked.. good
Sharon Lou Johnson says
love doing fairy cakes with my kids x
Rachel Atkinson says
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing
Kate Davies says
I love baking traditional cakes like victoria sponge or sticky toffee.
Samantha Williams says
Victoria sponge cake with real cream filling, yum yum, making me feel hungry now. Thankyou very much for the kind offer, good luck everyone, fingers crossed tightly
Jodie Hailstone says
has to be a traditional Victoria Sponge
Melissa Lee says
I don’t think you can go wrong with a chocolate cake so I always love to bake those
Allison Sherwood says
Victoria Sponge
Rebecca roberts says
I love making chocolate cake Tim yum
Tracey Belcher says
Plum and Cinnamon cake
HAYLEY TURNER says
coffee and walnut cake
katie w says
lemon drizzle cake
Jason Tolliss says
Banana bread
francis lee says
I love baking carrot cake
Ian monck says
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing
Emma Smith says
Lemon drizzle
Sam Parkes says
Chocolate fudge cake
jamie Millard says
birthday cakes – usually chocolate.
Jenny Rogers says
I love making fruit cakes.
Karen R says
I love making (and eating) carrot cake xx
paula cheadle says
Victoria sponge with fresh cream and strawberries
Kate Jenkins says
I love baking banoffee cupcakes, because the results are always super tasty 🙂
Jessica Powell says
I love carrot cake 🙂
craig austin says
treacle sponge
Katie says
Chocolate fudge cake
Emma Davison says
Just about any kind of cake but usually chocolate or lemon
Robyn Clarke says
Classic chocolate cake
Hayley Payne says
Lemon drizzle cake
angela sandhu says
I love making carrot cake xx
Melanie says
I love baking Banoffee Pie. My absolute favourite type of cake! My other favourite is carrot cake.
Lesley Bain says
Coffee or carrot cake 🙂
Angela Kate Webster Cosmic Kick says
My all time favourite cake to bake is lemon cupcakes. They’re so simple but taste so good!
ellie spider says
I love doing banana cake – its delicious and you dont need to be precise with the ingredients so you can throw it together super fast
Emma Hussain says
Chocolate cake
Chris Bell says
I adore making my lemon drizzle cake, as does everyone else! 😉
Simone Griffin says
Classic Victoria sponge
Laura Lee says
I love to make coconut and lime cake
Paul Ballantine says
I love making chocolate cake with the help of my niece
Cathryn Crawshaw says
Victoria Sponge
Eve H Ogden says
Carrot cake
Deborah Clarke says
Can’t beat a good old chocolate cake..yum yum. Fab giveaway would love to be your lucky winner
Jacqueline Roberts says
Love coffee cake with walnuts
Laura Norcop says
Velvet cheesecake 🙂
Di Dilly says
I love baking chocolate Brownies.
tammi nutting says
a lemon drizzle
Rowena Watson says
Lemon cheesecake with mandarin oranges.
DAWN HULL says
I love baking different types of cake, however carrot cake has to be my favourite.
Sian Buckingham says
We like making muffins or cupcakes with the kiddies!
Glynis O'Halloran says
Victoria sponge with masses of jam and fresh cream.
Susan Hall says
Coffee cake
Rachael Sexey says
Carrot cake
Ali Fanstone says
flapjacks and brownies
Jessica Barber says
I love baking Christmas Cake following my Nan’s recipe!
carrie wilford says
i love making muffins blueberry chocolate orange ones etc
Jodie A Green says
i love making chocolate or black forest gateau
Miss Tracy Hanson says
Coffee and Walnut – but now attempting to ice birthday cakes so that’s a favourite as the “mis-iced” ones get eaten anyway. 🙂 Not even sure “mis-iced” is a word lol.
Derek Wilson says
I’m trying to perfect my carrot cake. It’s taking a few goes!
vicky syed says
ROCK CAKES MMMMMM MY FAVE
Eva Trelfa says
I love making my childrens birthday cake 🙂
Tammy Artherton says
carrot cake
Tracy Gladman says
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Natalie Crossan says
BIRTHDAY CAKES 🙂 🙂
Em S says
A nice lemon drizzle cake, always a crowd pleaser.
samantha Buntain says
Victoria Sponge is my favourite cake to bake I love it. X
Janice says
That’s one spooky old cake there! Bound to add atmosphere to any Halloween party.
Steven Beasley says
Carrot cake
Rachael O'Brien says
Lemon drizzle loaf
Chris Bull says
Coconut loaf cake with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut
caroline tokes says
Cauliflower chocolate cake yummy
Caroline says
Butterfly cakes
Lia Burns says
For me it has to be a good old Victoria sponge closely followed by a Lemon drizzle
claire little says
cupcakes
Sarah Wilson says
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Kim Neville says
Chocolate fudge cake
Leanne perrett says
i love to bake banana cake and coffee cake banana is the kids fave coffee is mine 🙂
Heidi Roberts says
Chocolate cake, chocolate cake, chocolate cake – every time!!