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Easy Halloween Cake idea in dark black icing. An easy black cat cake for Halloween
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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.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword Halloween Cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Decorating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 8 People
Cost $15

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.
    Regular cocoa and black cocoa on a plate to show the difference in colour
  • 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.
    Dark black icing on a cupcake

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.
    Icing a Halloween cake black

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.
    cutting black licorice into strips to use as whiskers on a black cat cake for Halloween.
  • Place the “whiskers” on the side of the cake. Add the pink candy on top, and the little pink tongue underneath.
    Licorice whiskers and pink candy for an easy cat face on a cake

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.
    Pink fondant and black licorice for adding facial features to a Black Cat Cake for Halloween
  • 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.
    Placing pink fondant onto a Halloween cake to resemble cat ears.
  • Once the fondant ears are hardened remove the toothpicks and ice the back and edges of the ears.
    A closeup of the easy icing detail on a Halloween cake.
  • Your cake is ready for cutting as soon as you ice the hardened fondant ears.