Cauldron Cake
Ingredients
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
- 2½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- red & orange food coloring
For Cauldron & Filling
- 2 bags (14 oz each) dark cocoa melting chocolate
- vanilla cake (about one 9" round, cubed)
- assorted candy
- Sweetened Whipped Cream (see above)
- Buttercream Frosting (see above)
Special Equipment
- balloons, washed & dried
- pastry bag & medium-sized tip of choice (U-shaped tip suggested)
- offset spatula
- edible gold disco dust for decorating (optional)
How-to
Prep Balloons & Form Cauldron
- Blow up and wash balloon. Dry completely
- Microwave coating chocolate in 30 second increments until melted. Allow to cool for about a minute before use
- Dip balloon in chocolate and transfer onto a parchment-lined plate. The drips at the bottom will help form a base. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes
Make Sweetened Whipped Cream
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a bowl using electric beaters, start to whip on low speed, and beat until frothy
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat until cream holds medium peaks
- Divide into two bowls and refrigerate until use
Make Buttercream Frosting
- Cream butter and powdered sugar together, starting with one cup of powdered sugar at a time, on low speed, until all four cups are incorporated
- Beat in vanilla, and taste. If you desire the buttercream to be sweeter, beat in the additional cup of powdered sugar
- Divide into two bowls. Mix orange food coloring into one, and red into the other. Set aside until use
Fill & Decorate
- Pop the balloon and peel out of the now-formed chocolate shell
- Take one of the two bowls of whipped cream and fold in chopped candy of choice. Leave the other bowl of sweetened whipped cream as-is
- Layer the vanilla cake in the chocolate cauldron on the bottom. Dollop candy-filled whipped cream on top. Repeat this step, then top with vanilla cake
- Dollop plain, sweetened whipped cream on top
- Decorate with spooky candies of choice
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized tip (U-shaped tip suggested) with the red buttercream, concentrating on only filling one side of the pastry bag. Fill the other side with orange buttercream. This will create a "flame" effect when piping
- Pipe a ring around the cauldren's base. Pipe flames or decorations of choice, coming up from the base
- Decorate with edible gold dust (if desired)
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until use