Witch Cake

$15 - $20 (based on 2016 prices) 

Makes one cake

I enjoy converting common recipes into Halloween goodies. For this project, I took a basic marble cake and transformed it into a witchy snack using green and purple food coloring. The possibilities, though, are endless: black and orange for a traditional theme, green and orange for a pumpkin treat, black and purple for batty concoction, and so forth. You could also experiment with flavors using extracts and oils. For the time-pressed haunter who hates to cook, the process can be streamlined by using a store-bought cake mix and pre-made frosting. 

Cake

• 2 1/3 Cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ Teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ Cups sugar
• ½ Cup butter
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• ½ Tablespoon green food coloring
• ½ Tablespoon purple food coloring
• Two 7.5 oz. bags of gummy worms

Frosting

• 2 ½ Sticks softened butter
• 5 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• ½ Tablespoon green food coloring
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and, in large bowl, sift together baking powder, four, salt, and sugar.

2. Add butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat with a hand mixture on low for roughly three minutes or until everything is well blended.

3. Separate the batter into two bowls and add the food coloring. You want one-third of the batter in one bowl and two-thirds in another. Similarly, the larger portion will be dyed your desired base color and the smaller portion will be dyed the color you have chosen for the swirls. You may have to alter the amount of dye you use to achieve your preferred hues.

4. Pour the larger portion into two greased baking pans and glob the smaller portion on top. Using a toothpick, swirl the colors together. I found that making a rounded zigzag motion produces the best results. Be careful not to overdo the pattern, though. The more you blend, the muddier the final product will appear.

5. Bake the cake for thirty minutes or until it reaches a golden brown and a toothpick inserted within the center comes out clean.

6. As the cake cools, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer until it becomes creamy. Then, gradually add food coloring, milk, vanilla, and sugar and beat until the mixture becomes fluffy. Again, you may have to alter the amount of dye you use to achieve your desired hue.

7. Assemble the cake, frosting the first layer and adding gummy worms. If you want to continue the theme, glob drops of purple food coloring to the top of the cake and use a toothpick to swirl it through the frosting. Here, too, a rounded zigzag motion works best.

8. Garnish the final version with the remaining gummy worms. You can also use plastic snakes or spiders, which can serve as party favors after the treat has been eaten.