Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Halloween Cake Ideas

simple Halloween cake decoration ideas

Halloween is slowly gaining popularity in Australia. In our little suburb of Lilyfield it has really taken on and trick or treating is all the rage. All the kids wander around our quiet streets filling up on lollies and a lot of the houses are decorated in a spooky theme. Nothing like you see in America but fun all the same.  I thought I'd share some cakes I made a several years ago for a Spooky Halloween birthday party for my daughter and 3 of her friends - amongst the 4 kids there were about 90 kids and 80 adults invited so we needed some big birthday cakes.  

These were simple to make but look effective.


simple Halloween cake decoration ideas

The bat cake is a simple chocolate cake made in a large tin. My tin is 40 cm diameter and requires a triple cake recipe.  My simple chocolate cake recipe is a hit for birthday cakes and one of those super easy recipes that is throw all the ingredients in one bowl and mix. You can't get simpler than that! 


Once the cake was baked and cooled, I wrapped it in plastic and put it in the freezer for a few hours so it was firm but not completely frozen. I then cut out the cake to make it into a bat shape. Just a couple of triangular shapes around the feet and head. While the cake was still partly frozen I iced it with chocolate butter cream and piped on the bones in the wings and face detail. You can probably do a better job than I did as the face looks a little funny but the kids all loved it anyway.


simple Halloween cake decoration ideas


The witch cake was a vanilla cake and I iced it with bright blue butter cream for a wintry sky and then added details with black and white fondant icing. I made my own black fondant which is a complete nightmare and waste of time, It takes days and days and loads of black paste. Next time I would just go and buy ready made black fondant. In Australia most good cake shops and providors have ready made black fondant and it lasts ages.  I used a little metal push though cutter for the stars and cookie cutters for the bats and witch.  I always dust the cutters in icing sugar to ensure the fondant doesn't stick and pops out easily.  For the moon I just cut around a little plate.  To stick the fondant onto the butter cream you brush the back of the shape with a little water and lay down firmly.  If any icing sugar remains on the black fondant you can just brush it with a tiny bit of water.

simple Halloween cake decoration ideas

The kids loved these cakes and they added to the spooky feel for our party.

simple Halloween cake decoration ideas

 Enjoy

Fiona xx

sharing at Homemakeronadime


4 comments:

  1. Cool cakes Fiona! Halloween is not big at all in NZ and we found it quite surprising last year to see how big it is getting here in Australia...the kids go to school in fancy dress on the day. Heap of kids roamed the streets but I wouldn't let mine, lol! Might organise something with the neighbours this year..see what happens in our street and just go with the flow.

    I have had my own black fondant nightmare too, Jake wanted a Batman cake for his 4th birthday, easy I though, yellow iced round cake with a black icing bat on it...nup! I used liquid food colouring so to get it anywhere near black enough meant the icing was sticky, such a nightmare, never again! The cake did turn out ok and of course the birthday boy loved it, that is all that matters :)

    I am about to get stuck into my workshop, have had a lovely couple of days with Geoff but ready to get back into my own routine now!

    x Karen

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  2. these cakes are great and very creative.. It sure is getting popular here I agree. Brisbane bayside has been having a Halloween street parade for the last 13 or so years and it's getting bigger each year. The street is blocked off and everyone dresses up...it's crazy fun!
    Bec x

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  3. Awesome cake ideas

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  4. These cakes are great. Like Australia, Halloween is becoming increasingly common here in the UK, but still nowhere as big as it is in the US.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment! Sorry if you have trouble commenting, you can always email me at lilyfieldlife@bigpond.com