Description
A spooky and delicious Halloween Chocolate Orange Layer Cake featuring rich chocolate sponge, citrusy buttercream, dramatic chocolate drip, and playful meringue ghost decorations. This cake is perfect for Halloween parties.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Sponge Cake (3 x 6-inch layers): 250 g butter, 250 g soft brown sugar, Zest of one orange, 1/2 tsp orange blossom water or 10 drops orange essence, 4 eggs, 160 g flour, 90 g cocoa powder (100%), 10 g baking powder
- Chocolate Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream: 5 room temperature egg whites, 300 g caster sugar, 452 g room temperature butter, 2 tsp orange extract, 200 g dark chocolate, melted & cooled, 1 – 2 tsp black gel food coloring, 1 tsp orange gel food coloring
- Chocolate Drip: 1 cup chocolate chunks, 1/4 cup cream
- Meringue Ghosts (40–45 ghosts): 3 egg whites, 180 g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of salt, Melted dark chocolate or black food pen
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add orange zest and essence, then eggs one by one. Fold in dry ingredients and bake three 6-inch layers at 180°C for 25–30 minutes.
- Cool layers completely. Wrap and freeze if making ahead.
- Heat sugar and egg whites over simmering water until dissolved. Whip until glossy, then add butter gradually. Mix in orange extract. Divide: color 1/3 orange, add melted chocolate and black coloring to rest.
- Microwave chocolate and cream in 30-second intervals until smooth. Cool slightly before dripping.
- Whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Add sugar gradually, then vanilla and salt. Pipe ghost shapes and bake at 100°C for 30 minutes. Draw faces once cooled.
- Layer cakes with frosting between each. Crumb coat, chill, and cover with chocolate buttercream. Add orange stripes, chocolate drip, and finish with meringue ghosts.
Notes
- Chill the cake between steps for clean layers.
- Cake layers can be frozen up to 4 weeks wrapped well.
- Meringue ghosts should be added just before serving for crispness.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg