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Tuesday 28 October 2008

Dem’ Bones Halloween Coffin Cake!!


Hallow Eve is practically upon us where ghosts and spooky things that go bump in the night are thought to appear on this said night of the 31st October. This year I decided to make a skeleton coffin cake in celebration of Halloween, which, I made last weekend for my family gathering and we had a fang-tastic time celebrating early! Although this year’s cake was a smaller affair, serving 4-6, it is such an easy coffin cake to make from start to finish. The sponge is baked in a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and cut into coffin shape when cold. Buttercream could be used to smother the outside of the sponge before placing on the fondant icing instead of apricot jam.


Dem’ Bones Halloween Coffin Cake


Dem’ Bones Halloween Coffin Cake

Dem’ Bones Halloween Coffin Cake.

Ingredients
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
175g (6oz) butter, at room temperature
175g (6oz) caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved
500g (1lb 2oz) fondant icing
Edible food colour, black
Bone shaped sweets
Halloween toys, small plastic skeleton, spiders, small figures
You will need a 900g (2lb) loaf tin, greased and lined with non-stick paper
A 20cm (8 in) cake board or larger if you want to place lots of figures around the board.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4.

In a large mixing bowl place the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy and light. Add a little of the beaten egg at a time, beating in with each addition until full combined. Beat in the vanilla extract and then gently fold in the flour until combined. Place into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top over with a spatula.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden in colour and firm to the touch in the centre, or a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake in the in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack, removing the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

To shape the cake, use a large segregated knife to slice off the risen surface to make it completely flat. Turn the cake upside down and score the shape of a coffin in the sponge. Cut off the two top corners at an angle, and then cut diagonally down from the corners to the base of the coffin.


To make the lid, slice about 1cm (½ in) off the top of the cake. Leave aside. With the base of the cake, scoop out with a sharp knife a hollow leaving about 1cm (½ in) border all the way around large. Brush the cake with apricot jam.

Colour the fondant icing with a little edible black food colouring, knead the fondant a little to give a marble effect. Roll out enough marbled fondant to cover the coffin lid all the way around and then the base of the coffin. Line the cake board with the remaining fondant icing dabbing a little water on the board for the fondant to stick to it. *Leave a little white fondant for the name plaque and with a little black food colouring write on R.I.P. and stick down onto the coffin lid with a little water*.

*Note* you can strengthen the coffin lid sponge before fondant icing with a little card cut to size if you so wish*.

Place the base of the coffin on the board. Then put the skeleton in the coffin and place the lid propped up at the side as in the photo.


Place a few bone sweets around and figures to your liking.


Lincoln Cathedral Towers @ Night

Greestone Arch


Greestone Steps (Stairs)


Ghost Walk!!!!!

Some of the family members after teatime went on a ghost walk in Lincoln City to Greestone Steps (Stairs). These steep steps lead down from the side of Lincoln Cathedral which is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in Lincoln. It has airiness about it and dimly lit with old fashioned type Victorian lights. There have been reported sightings of several ghosts and the sound of a head rolling down the steps; unexplained sounds near the archway and clanging from stair rails. Did my family see anything I hear you ask? Nothing was captured on camera or seen, although an airy sound coming from near the archway was heard – spooky!



21 comments:

Finla said...

Rosie rosie i would be terrified to take a bit of this delicious cake you have made :-)

Unknown said...

That looks cute..

glamah16 said...

Love it! I wish I had a crowd to make Halloween treats for. Great job.

The Blonde Duck said...

That's an amazing cake! I think I may have to skip the ghost walk...I've had quite enough of them!

Ivy said...

This is spooooctacular!!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

I love that cake! Terrific!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Cheers,

Rosa

Emily Rose said...

The coffin cake is adorable!! I'm very impressed with your cake-carving skills!

Coby said...

Rosie, correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to have so much fun in your kitchen! The creations that come from your heart and hearth are just wonderful! Your talent is far beyond what I could dare hope, but I do love to see your next big thing:):):)

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

This is the cutest! You are so talented.

Beth (jamandcream) said...

This looks amazing. I wish I had your talent

grace said...

this is a wonderful idea, and your execution of it is terribly impressive, rosie. bravo!

Uma said...

ooh, so scary to look at that cathedral after reading your description. The RIP cake looks great. Happy Halloween dear!

Caroline said...

That cake looks good & creepy at the same time! LOL
BTW, made your Gingerbread cookies and everyone loved it. Thanks.

Rosie said...

Hi H.C. I will ensure you only get cake and not spooky spiders ;)

Hi Divya, awww thank you :D

Hi Coco, I wish too for you sweetie, you would have a ball catering for a Halloween crowd !!

Hi T.B.D. I skipped the ghost walk too and left the younger members of the family to enjoy lol

Hi Ivy, *giggle* love the spooooctacular!!

Hi Rosa, awww thanks sweetie and a Happy Halloween to you and yours too :D

Hi Emily Rose, thank you sweetie you are so kind :D

Hi Coby, thank you for such a very kind compliment coming from such an experienced cook as yourself.

Hi Lisa, thank you SO much :D

Hi Beth , you have sweetie got bucket loads of talent :D

Thank you So much Grace :D

Hi Uma, Lincoln is a very old City with many old places that have reputed hauntings and the Cathedral at night is very airy.

Thank you my ‘dear’ friends for all your very kind comments and wishing you all a very Happy Halloween :D

Rosie xoxox

Rosie said...

Hi Caroline your Halloween Rattlin' Bones Gingerbread people look amazing!! Thank you SO much for trying out my recipe I am very honoured!! I love your mummies cookies too what a great idea!!

Thanks also for the lovely comment on my cake :D

Best wishes Rosie x

The Caked Crusader said...

wow - spooky (and cool!) cake!

MrsB said...

Oh I love this cake Rosie, so spooky! it's so creative, I love the little bones :)

James said...

Looks dead good!

Fangs very much....

Rosie said...

Hi C.C., Mrs B thank you both so very much for your lovely comments :)

Hi James, Oh my I did laugh at your comment very good!! Now it's time for a coffin break for me ;)

Best wishes Rosie xoxo

Maria♥ said...

Rosie what a great cake!! I love all the attention to detail.

Maria
x

Rosie said...

Hi maria, aww thanks as always :)

Rosie x