Great Cake Recipes

Photography by Mark O'Meara Opt for treats at Halloween with this cake pop recipe.

Ingredients:

• 583g packet chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1/4 cup (60ml) bought chocolate frosting
• 375g white chocolate melts
• Orange food colouring gel

Equipment:

You will need a black edible ink pen (available from cake decorating suppliers) alternatively you can use cake decorating writing gel in chocolate or black (available from supermarkets). We used wooden sticks for this recipe which were thoroughly cleaned, but lollypop sticks or bamboo skewers can be used as an alternative.

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round (base measurement) cake pan with baking paper.

2) Make the chocolate cake following packet directions. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3) Break the cake into small pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Add the chocolate frosting and stir to combine.

4) Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into a ball. Use your fingers to lightly flatten into a pumpkin shape. Place on the lined tray. Repeat with remaining chocolate cake mixture. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.

5) Place the white chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts. Add orange food colouring and stir to combine.

6) Dip the end of 1 lollypop stick in chocolate then insert into the bottom of a ball. Return to the tray. Repeat with remaining cake balls.

7) Dip 1 cake ball into the melted chocolate, turning to coat. Gently tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Insert the cake pop in the polystyrene to stand upright. Repeat with remaining cake pops and chocolate. Set aside for 15 minutes to set.

8) Use a black edible in pen to draw a face on each pumpkin to create a jack ‘o’ lantern. Turn pumpkins on their base to serve. Taste.com.au - April 2012
Recipe by Sarah Hobbs

Photography by Amanda McLauchlan Boo! Halloween is here, so put on your scariest outfit and invite everyone around for these terrifying treats.

Ingredients:

• 3 gold-strength gelatine leaves 
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 ready-made chocolate tart cases 
• Cocoa powder, to dust

Direction:

1) Soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften.

2) Meanwhile, combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point.

3) Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, then add leaves to the cream mixture and stir to dissolve. Strain into a jug and set aside to cool. Pour the cooled mixture into the tart cases and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.

4) When ready to serve, place a paper doily over the tarts and dust with cocoa powder to resemble spider webs. delicious. - October 2009 , Page 116
Recipe by Valli Little

Photography by Ben Dearnley This is the sort of frog you want in your throat! It's sweet, tasty, and topped with creamy icing.

Ingredients:

• 200g butter, at room temperature
• 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 375g (2 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
• 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature
• 300g (2 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 2-3 drops of green liquid food colouring
• 20 green fruit ring lollies, halved
• 2 straps black licorice, cut into 40 pieces

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C. Line twenty 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with cases.

2) Use an electric beater to beat butter and caster sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined. Stir in flour, milk and half the vanilla until well combined.

3) Divide mixture among prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4) Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese until soft. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Beat in food colouring and remaining vanilla. Spread icing over cupcakes. Decorate with the lollies and licorice. Australian Good Taste - January 2010 , Page 74
Recipe by Michelle Noerianto

Photography by Mark O'Meara Dazzle taste buds with this stunningly easy and delicious white chocolate rock road. It makes a brilliant Christmas food gift if you can bear to part with it.

Ingredients:

• 250g packet marshmallows, halved
• 100g packet dried cranberries
• 110g packet macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 60g pistachios (optional)
• 1/3 cup (35g) desiccated coconut
• 2 x 180g blocks good-quality white chocolate,
• chopped

Directions:

1) Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.

2) Combine marshmallows, cranberries, nuts and coconut in a bowl. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until smooth.

3) Pour chocolate over marshmallow mixture. Mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, pressing down with a spatula. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Using a warm knife, cut into squares. Serve. Taste.com.au - November 2010
Recipe by Kim Coverdale

Photography by Mark O'Meara Have a bit of fun in the kitchen with these delicious cake disco morsels.

Ingredients:

Equipment:

You will need lolly-pop sticks for this recipe and a block of oasis or polystyrene.

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round (base measurement) cake pan with baking paper.


2) Make the vanilla butter cake following packet directions. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.


3) Use a serrated knife to trim the crusts of the cake. Break the cake into small pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Add the vanilla frosting and m&m’s minis and stir to combine.


4) Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll tablespoonsful of cake mixture into balls and place on the lined tray. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.


5) Place the white chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts. Place the 100 & 1000’s in a small bowl.


6) Dip the end of 1 lollypop stick in chocolate then insert into a cake ball. Return to the tray. Repeat with remaining cake balls.


7) Dip 1 cake ball into the melted chocolate, turning to coat. Gently tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Roll the cake ball in 100 & 1000’s to coat. Insert the cake pop in the polystyrene to stand upright. Repeat with remaining cake balls, chocolate and 100 & 1000’s. Set aside for 30 minutes or until chocolate is completely set.
Taste.com.au - April 2012
Recipe by Sarah Hobbs

Photography by Brett Stevens Enjoy this Alice in Wonderland-inspired cheesecake and set the table for a tea party beyond your wildest dreams

Ingredients:

• 150g frozen raspberries, thawed
• 250g white chocolate melts
• 1kg full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 330g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• Red and white sugar heart cake decorations

Shortbread base:

• 150g (1 cup) plain flour
• 55g (1/4 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra, to grease
• 50g (1/2 cup) walnuts, roasted, finely chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a 24cm springform pan, then line base with baking paper. To make shortbread base, process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add walnuts and process until mixture starts to form clumps. Press mixture evenly over base, then bake for 20 minutes or until pale golden. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then release side of pan and slide shortbread with baking paper off base onto a wire rack. Cool completely.


2) Reduce oven to 150C. Wipe pan clean. Grease with extra butter. Wrap outside of pan with foil to make it watertight.


3) Process raspberries in a food processor to a puree, then press through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds. Measure 60g puree for the filling.


4) To make cheesecake filling, melt 50g white chocolate melts. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the side of the bowl frequently, for 5 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Place 1 cup cream cheese mixture in a small bowl and stir in reserved 60g raspberry puree and melted white chocolate.


5) Spoon plain cheese mixture into pan and level. Fit a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle, twist bag near nozzle to prevent filling leaking, then spoon the raspberry cheese mixture into the bag. Untwist bag, quickly insert nozzle into the centre of the cake filling to a depth of 1cm, then pipe a 3cm round of the raspberry mixture. Lift out nozzle (take care as mixture may leak), then place above the centre dot and pipe a 1.5cm round. Repeat at the opposite point, then pipe 2 x 1.5cm rounds on each side. You should now have 7 rounds. If you have mixture remaining, add a little more to each of the smaller rounds; don’t worry if they aren’t level.


6) Place in a large roasting pan on the bottom shelf of the oven, then pour in enough boiling water to reach 3cm up the side of cake pan. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until edge is set and centre moves only slightly when pan is shaken; the top will be pale golden. Remove cake from water bath and cool to room temperature. Keep oven at 150C.


7) Meanwhile, to make edible playing cards, using a pencil and a ruler, draw 3 x 5cm x 30cm rectangles on a sheet of baking paper. Melt remaining 200g white chocolate melts. Turn paper over, spread chocolate thinly within marked rectangles, then set aside until just set. Using a sharp knife, trim rectangles straight. Cut each into 10 x 5cm x 3cm rectangles to make 30 cards, then trim the corners. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Place 6 red hearts at the centre of each card and 4 white hearts at each corner. Place tray in oven for 30 seconds; this will melt chocolate slightly so the hearts stick. Cool.


8) Line a board or tart pan base with baking paper. Release the side of the cheesecake pan, then invert onto lined board. Carefully remove pan base, then invert cheesecake onto the cooled shortbread base so red dots are on top. Press white-chocolate cards around the side of the cake, using a small dot of soft butter to stick them to the cake. MasterChef - June 2011 , Page 69
Recipe by Sophia Young

Photography by Michelle Noerianto & Kim Coverdale


This is one part of Halloween that no-one will find scary. These spidery cupcakes will delight the kids at birthday parties too.
Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 340g packet golden buttercake mix
• 2 eggs
• 60g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup milk
• 180g packet Smarties lollies
• 1 cup dark chocolate melts

Butter cream icing:

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
• Yellow food colouring
• Green food colouring

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole, 1/3 cup capacity muffin pan with paper cases.


2) Make cupcakes following packet directions. Spoon mixture into cases until three-quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of 1 cupcake comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


3) Make icing Using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture, beating constantly until combined. Tint lime green by mixing food colourings.


4) Spread cupcakes with icing. Press 3 Smarties into tops for spider bodies. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until melted and smooth. Spoon chocolate into a snap-lock bag. Make a small snip in 1 corner. Pipe chocolate around Smarties to form spider legs and eyes. Set aside for 10 minutes or until set. Serve.


Source:http://www.taste.com.au
Super Food Ideas - October 2009 , Page 14
Recipe by Katrina Woodman

Photography by Prudence Miller Everyone loves a chocolate crackle, and on Halloween, if you conjure up these spiders, your kids will think you're magic!

Ingredients:

• 70g (2 cups) Rice Bubbles
• 120g (2/3 cup) icing sugar mixture
• 35g (1/2 cup) shredded coconut
• 1 tbs cocoa powder, sifted
• 140g copha
• 20g (1/4 cup) shredded coconut, extra
• 1 tbs icing sugar mixture, extra
• 1 tsp cocoa powder, extra
• 24 red jelly beans
• 190g (1 cup) dark chocolate melts (Nestle brand)

Directions:

1) Combine the Rice Bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa in a large bowl. Place the copha in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or it melts. Reserve 2 tablespoonfuls of copha. Add the remaining copha to the Rice Bubbles mixture and stir until well combined.


2) Combine extra coconut, extra icing sugar and extra cocoa with reserved copha in a small bowl.


3) Place 2 tablespoonsful of Rice Bubbles mixture in each hole of a 12-hole (80ml/1/3-cup) muffin pan. Use a teaspoon to lightly press down. Sprinkle with coconut mixture. Press red jelly beans in each chocolate crackle for eyes. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.


4) Meanwhile, line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the chocolate melts in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until it melts and is smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoonfuls of chocolate. Place the remaining chocolate in a small plastic bag. Use a pair of scissors to snip the corner and pipe 8 chocolate lines, about 10cm long, onto the lined tray to make spider legs. Repeat to create 11 more sets of legs. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes or until set.


5) Remove chocolate crackles from pan and place, coconut-side up, on a clean work surface. Use reserved melted chocolate to attach the chocolate legs to each spider. Serve. Australian Good Taste - October 2002 , Page 52
Recipe by Nadia French

Photography by Cath Muscat

For witch hats, make petits fours through step two. Then create a brim using a dab of icing: Affix each petit four to a 2-to-2 1/2-inch chocolate wafer cookie. Proceed to step three, coating with Chocolate Glaze instead of  Butter Glaze. In lieu of step four, wrap one or two pieces of licorice lace around the base of the hat immediately after glazing.

Prep 20 mins  -  Cook 55 mins  -  16 Piece

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 32 miniature chocolate peppermint patties, such as York
• Candy eyes, chocolate chips, and icing pens, for decorating

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, sugar, and bittersweet chocolate over medium, stirring frequently, until smooth. Add to flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in eggs and vanilla, then let cool to room temperature, 10 minutes.


2) Transfer batter to pan. Press 16 peppermint patties evenly into batter and, with a small offset spatula, evenly spread batter to completely cover patties.


3) Bake until cake is puffed and just set, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, 25 minutes, then top with 16 peppermint patties. Let cool 25 minutes more, then decorate peppermint patties with candy eyes and chocolate chip ears. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, 5 minutes. Using parchment, lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares. Decorate with icing pens.

Innocents are snared easily by a ganache spiderweb. Spun by a gumdrop spider with limber licorice-string legs, the web is draped over a dangerously addictive and creamy no-bake cheesecake. Candy spiders make a creepy garnish.

Candy Spiders:

Makes 8 Spiders

Don't be afraid of these friendly ghosts -- they are easy to make. Creating enough to cover and peek out from behind a cake takes no time at all, especially with help from junior chefs. White frosting makes them look right at home. Or make individual cakes, using either mini muffins (as directed below) or a twelve-cup standard muffin tin; if making standard-size, bake them for about twenty minutes.
Makes three 6-inch layers or about 6 dozen mini cupcakes

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1) Put cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Use immediately.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1) Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let stand until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes.