Easy Halloween Cake Anyone Can Make

Black Cat Cake for Halloween

This is an easy Halloween cake. It requires no special pans, cake decorating bags, or major decorating skills. Its starts with a chocolate cake mix mix, black icing, fondant and candy. This black cat cake is something your family will really enjoy sinking their fangs into, Perfect for a little bit spooky family holiday bash.. Kids can even help make it.

The secret to this easy black cat cake is whipping up a black icing that isn’t just edible it tastes really good, dark and delish. A dark brown cat just will not do for a Halloween cake, so this ferocious feline is a rich dark black.

Easy Halloween Cake Ingredients

Baking the Halloween Cake

The base of this easy Halloween cake is two large inch layers of chocolate cake. As packages seem to be getting smaller I suggest using two chocolate cake mixes one for each 8 inch round cake pan. Bake according to the packages instructions. Let cool.

Making Black Icing

This is a dark chocolate butter cream icing, that uses black cocoa. Using real black cocoa means you can add just a little black gel food colouring to deepen the colour, and you won’t get the chemical taste you get from having too much colouring.

In Canada you can get black cocoa at the Bulk Barn, they said they carry it all the time.

This recipe makes alot of luscious black icing, so its best to start with a large bowl.

I used a stand mixer with the paddle attached, or a hand mixer with beaters.

Add the butter and beat on high speed until the butter becomes pale. Push the butter down the side of the bowl occasionally.

Stop the mixer and add the icing sugar. Turn the mixer on LOW, until the sugar is incorporated into the butter. The low speed prevents the icing sugar from flying about.

Add the black cocoa and the food colouring, beat on low until incorporated.

Add 1/2 cup milk a little at a time. Occasionally scrape down the side of the bowl.

Turn the mixer onto high speed. Depending on where you live you may need to adjust the amount of milk. If you icing is too dry add a tablespoon of milk at a time until your icing is a nice medium consistency. (I used 4 tbsp).

Continue to beat you icing on high for ten minutes. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. The extra beating time results in a very nice fluffy light frosting

Assembling the Cake

Place the first 8 inch cake on a plate, cover the top with 1/2 inch layer of icing and add the second layer.

Add a thin layer of icing all over the cake. Let this crumb coat harden at least two hours in the fridge. I left mine overnight.

Once the crumb coat is hardened remove from the fridge and add a second layer of icing.

Place a thick layer of icing over the cake, use a spatula to smooth out the sides of the cake as much as possible. Make nice big swirls of icing on the top of the cake with a spoon to resemble fur. No cake decorating tube needed, simple and easy.

Making the Black Cat Face

The face is made using a pink candy, licorice cigar and pink fondant. I chose to design the face first and then place it on the cake.

Take a large gumball sized piece of fondant and form it into a tongue shape with your fingers. Lay aside.

Cut the candy end off of a licorice cigar and using scissors make two slices towards the middle. Repeat on the other side.

Place the “whiskers” on the side of the cake. Add the pink candy on top, and the little pink tongue underneath.

Making the Ears

Fondant dries and harden quickly when left uncovered. This makes it perfect for making stand up ears.

Roll a small piece of fondant (about 1/2 cup) until its 1/3 inch thick. Cut out a two inch high triangle. Use the first triangle as a template and cut out the second ear.

Place the fondant on the top of the cake. Let the top of the ears flop over. Hold the ears up using toothpicks . Place your cake in the fridge for about an hour until the fondant hardens.

Once the fondant ears are hardened remove the toothpicks and ice the back and edges of the ears.

To clean up icing from your cake board, finish icing the cake first. Skip the damp cloth and use a dry vegetable scrubby to remove mishaps. It works super well and you don’t have to fiddle around while trying to complete the cake.

Halloween Candy Buffet

A simple to create Halloween candy buffet with free printables to Pick Your Poison.

Halloween Brownies

These Halloween brownies are as delicious as they look. Not too sweet black cat chocolates and large white chocolate moons for a silhouette.

Easy Halloween Cake – Black Cat Cake

A easy Halloween cake idea. A simple black cat Halloween cake that starts with a cake mix, and has truly black icing. This Halloween cake takes no special skills or tools to decorate.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Decorating Time:1 hour hr

Total Time:1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

Halloween Cake

• 2 packages chocolate cake mix Plus ingredients called for on the package.

Black Icing

• 1 lb butter softened
• 8 cups icing sugar
• ¾ cup black cocoa not regular cocoa
• ½ tsp black gel food colouring
• ½ cup milk will add more for consistency

Cake Decorations

• 1 pink candy
• 1 black licorice cigar
• ½ cup pink fondant 1 small package

Instructions

Baking the Halloween Cake

• Mix and bake your cake mixes in two 8 inch pans. One mix for each layer. Let cool.

Making Black Icing

• Add the butter and beat on high speed until the butter becomes pale. Push the butter down the side of the bowl occasionally.
• Stop the mixer and add the icing sugar. Turn the mixer on LOW, until the sugar is incorporated into the butter. The low speed prevents the icing sugar from flying about.
• Add the black cocoa and the food colouring, beat on low until incorporated.
  
• Add 1/2 cup milk a little at a time. Occasionally scrape down the side of the bowl.
• Turn the mixer onto high speed. Depending on where you live you may need to adjust the amount of milk. If you icing is too dry add a tablespoon of milk at a time until your icing is a nice medium consistency. (I used 4 tbsp).
• Continue to beat you icing on high for ten minutes. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. The extra beating time results in a very nice fluffy light tasting frosting.
  

Icing the Halloween Cake

• Place the first 8 inch cake on a plate, cover the top with 1/2 inch layer of icing and add the second layer.
• Add a thin layer of icing all over the cake. Let this crumb coat harden at least two hours in the fridge. I left mine overnight.
• Once the crumb coat is hardened remove from the fridge and add a second layer of icing.
• Place a thick layer of icing over the cake, use a spatula to smooth out the sides of the cake as much as possible. Make nice big swirls of icing on the top of the cake with a spoon to resemble fur. No cake decorating tube needed, simple and easy.
  

Making the Black Cat Face

• Take a large gumball sized piece of fondant and form it into a tongue shape with your fingers. Lay aside.
• Cut the candy end off of a licorice cigar and using scissors make two slices towards the middle. Repeat on the other side.
  
• Place the “whiskers” on the side of the cake. Add the pink candy on top, and the little pink tongue underneath.
  

Make the Ears

• Roll a small piece of fondant (about 1/2 cup) until its 1/3 inch thick. Cut out a two inch high triangle. Use the first triangle as a template and cut out the second ear.
  
• Place the fondant on the top of the cake. Let the top of the ears flop over. Hold the ears up using toothpicks . Place your cake in the fridge for about an hour until the fondant hardens.
  
• Once the fondant ears are hardened remove the toothpicks and ice the back and edges of the ears.
  
• Your cake is ready for cutting as soon as you ice the hardened fondant ears.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: Halloween Cake

Servings: 8 People

Cost: $15