Best Sweet and Spooky Halloween Cake [An old English tradition]

 Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.

This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

The word Halloween or Hallowe'en dates to about 1745[32] and is of Christian origin.[33] The word Hallowe'en means "Saints' evening".[34] It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day).[35] In Scots, the word eve is even, and this is contracted to e'en or een.[36] Over time, (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en evolved into Hallowe'en. Although the phrase "All Hallows'" is found in Old English, "All Hallows' Eve" is itself not seen until 155.

 

All Souls Day and Soul Cakes

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling,” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food and money. Soul cakes are an old English traditional cake, sometimes known simply as ‘souls’. The tradition of giving out soul cakes on All Hallows’ Eve dates back to the Middle Ages, when children went door-to-door saying prayers for the dead On All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, children went ‘souling’, asking for soul cakes from house to house: quite possibly a precursor to trick or treating.

 

Ingredient: 

5 large eggs,

2 cake mixes 190g melted butter (salted or unsalted) 

180ml milk

 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water 

1 tablespoon corn starch 

red or orange food 

1kg of icing sugar

1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

melted white chocolate

semi sweet chocolate 

 

Method:

Preheat oven at 180°.

Line tray with baking paper and refrigerate for later, Add all to bowl and mix with whisk or hand mixer, Scrape sides and fold over with spatula to make sure no clumps are left, Separate evenly into three greased and lined cake tins, Even out using spatula, And bake at 180°c for 25 minutes, Once out of oven leave to cool.

Add 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon corn starch and some red or orange food colouring to stove, Leave to boil till liquid, Pour mixture onto chilled baking tray that was refrigerated at the start and allow to cool down and harden.

For the vanilla buttercream icing use 500g of unsalted butter at room temperature, 1kg of icing sugar ( sieve to avoid clumps) and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract ( can also add melted white chocolate for extra flavour)

Gradually add softened butter to bowl and whisk on high speed with hand mixer, Scrape sides of bowl using spatula as you go, Once butter has become smooth gradually add icing sugar (not too much at once) messy process, Half way through add vanilla extract, Keep adding icing sugar and blending making sure to scrape sides as you go, Should be smooth and fluffy with no clumps.

Separate two tablespoons of icing and add orange to the large bowl and purple to the smaller bowl and mix.

Add a small amount of icing to cake stand before placing first cake on the stand upside down so that the flat side can face upwards, add orange frosting generously on first layer and smooth out evenly

Add second cake on top carefully again with the flat side facing up, Add generous amount of frosting again smooth.

Add final layer or cake with flat side up, Use spatula to fill in all sides and top till no sponge can be seen.

Use all remaining orange icing.

Using Edge of spatula create swirl on top of the cake as you turn cake stand.

Add bits of purple icing onto cake using piping bag or spatula (does not have to be neat)

Add purple icing all over, Using spatula blend burple with the orange to create a marbled effect.

Start decorating with sprinkles and white chocolate pieces, Break hardened sugar glass and add to top of cake as u you like,

Melt half cup semi sweet chocolate and use as drip around edges of cake.

Thank you four time please subscribe and share