Spooky Chocolate Bark Cake

I couldn't resist. We had a bunch of spooky candy left over from our Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies that I had to put to good use.

Have some spooky fun with this Spooky Chocolate Bark Cake.

So, we spooky-fied a cake - just for fun!

First, the boys and I made some Spooky Chocolate Bark to decorate our cake. I used my Movie Candy Chocolate Bark recipe replacing the movie candy with spooky candy.

Next, I baked up a deep dark chocolate cake. I baked my batter in a couple of 6 inch pans and a few cupcakes liners. I thought a small cake would be cute, but you can also use two 8 inch pans. Make sure to butter your pans, line the bottom of each with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper. This ensures easy removal from the cake tins.

Then, I whipped up an easy ganache by warming some cream in the microwave, pouring it over some chocolate chips, stirring it all up until smooth, and letting it cool and set for a bit.




While my ganache was cooling, I whipped up my favorite cream cheese frosting. I chose cream cheese because it is unbelievable with rich dark chocolate cake. Fab - u - lous!!

To put my cake together, I piped some cream cheese frosting onto the bottom cake layer leaving a rim to hold the ganache. I poured in some ganache and put it in the fridge to set up a little. Then, I put on the top layer and frosted the whole thing with a thin layer of frosting. After another brief spell in the fridge, I put on another layer of frosting and piped some puffs around the top of the cake. I filled a Ziplock freezer bag with the rest of the ganache, drizzled it all around the piped puffs on top, and sprinkled on some Halloween sprinkles.

Then, to finish off the cake, I pushed a shard of spooky chocolate bark into each puff and lined the bottom of the cake with them as well.

Homemade chocolate bark adds loads of fun to this Spooky Chocolate Bark Cake.

The cake turned out adorably spooky! The boys were in heaven. I just love making their day.




I also decorated the extra cupcakes. You can bake the whole batter into cupcakes if you want. They're much easier to decorate than a layer cake.



Spooky Chocolate Bark Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the deep, dark, chocolate cake:
(Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
about 1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
about 1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

A batch of spooky chocolate bark for decorating (I used my Movie Candy Bark recipe replacing the movie candy with spooky candy)

Halloween sprinkles for decorating

DIRECTIONS
1. Make your spooky chocolate bark using my recipe. Set in the fridge and break into shards.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter your cake tins, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
3. For the cake batter, pour enough warm water over your coffee granules to make 1 cup and set aside. Also, pour enough milk over the apple cider vinegar to make 1 cup of sour milk and set aside for 15 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients for the cake batter.
5. Pour all wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until batter is smooth.
6. Pour into prepared cake tins and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool cakes for 20 minutes, loosen edges with a butter knife, remove cakes, and cool completely.
8. To make the ganache, pour chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl. In another microwave safe dish, heat 1/2 cup whipping cream for about a minute (watch it carefully) until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate chips and set a timer for 5 minutes. Then, stir ganache until smooth and set another timer for 15 minutes so ganache can set a bit.
9. For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter for 30 seconds. Beat in 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and then beat in 2 to 3 more cups powdered sugar until you get the consistency you like. Then, scrape down the bowl and beat on high for 3 minutes.
10. Put half the frosting into a Ziplock freezer bag prepared with a piping tip.
11. Pipe a layer of frosting onto the bottom layer of the cake making a little rim to hold the ganache.
12. Pour in some of the ganache and set the cake in the fridge to set for about 15 minutes.
13. Top with the other cake layer and frost the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting. Then, set in the fridge for 15 minutes.
14. Put another layer of frosting onto your cake making it as smooth as you wish.
15. Pipe puffs of frosting all along the top of the cake.
16. Fill another Ziplock freezer bag with ganache. Snip a teeny tiny piece off of one corner and drizzle onto the top of the cake. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles.
17. Push a shard of spooky chocolate bark into each frosting puff and line the bottom of the cake with more.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies

We're still keep'n it easy over here in Loverbee Land. Also, I've got doctored cake mix on the brain as I've been baking through my Easy Gourmet Cupcake series. All that to say, cake mix cookies are how we're doin' this thang.

This recipe goes out to all my gluten free peeps. Hope you guys haven't been feeling left out. I'll be making you guys an easy gourmet gluten free cupcake soon, so stay tuned for that.

These Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies are rich with chocolate and autumn spice.

These ghoulish cookies are super chocolatey and full of fall spice. They're also crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside - just like a cookie should be. They're the perfect vehicle for Halloween decorating fun.




I doctored a gluten free chocolate cake mix with pumpkin and cinnamon to make these adorable jack-o-lantern cookies for the boys to decorate. Even in the midst of busyness I have to get my bake on, and the boys need stuff to decorate. That's how we roll up in this place.

I used cinnamon for a more Mexican hot chocolate kinda flavor. I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie spice with chocolate. But that's just me. If you love pumpkin pie spice, then go for it.




You'll need a jack-o-lantern pan to make these molded cookies. Wilton makes one you can order online. I suggest buying two pans. That way you can bake all your cookies at once.




First, beat butter, pumpkin, and the spice of your choice until well combined.




Beat in the chocolate cake mix until mixture resembles cookie dough.




Spray each mold with oil spray and scoop 1/4 cup of dough into each. Press the dough down into each face spreading evenly as you go.




Bake for 10 minutes and cool cookies completely in the pans. Then, remove them very carefully. I used a butter knife to help dislodge the edges.




Prep your decorating station by filling a couple of freezer bags with chocolate hazelnut spread and snipping off the corners for piping. Also, open up the candies for easy grabbing.




My guys had a blast decorating their jack-o-lanterns. I, of course, peeled off the candy to enjoy my cookie. 😉

Kids will love decorating these Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies
(makes 12 jack-o-lantern cookies)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
15 oz box gluten free chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's)
oil spray to grease cookie pan

To Decorate:
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
assorted Halloween candies
* For gluten free eaters, make sure your store-bought spread and candies read "gluten free" on the labels, or check the ingredients very carefully.

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter, pumpkin puree, and spice until creamy and well combined.
3. Beat in all of the chocolate cake mix until mixture comes together. It should look like cookie dough.
4. Spray your jack-o-lantern pan (just in the molds) generously with oil spray.
5. Scoop 4 Tbsp of dough into each jack-o-lantern face pushing down and spreading to fill the mold.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. They will look sunken in a little. That's okay.
7. Let cookies cool in pan completely and then remove them very carefully.
8. If you only have one pan, wipe it out and then spray again with oil spray before re-scooping.
9. When you're ready to decorate, spoon the chocolate hazelnut spread evenly into 2 Ziplock freezer bags, twist tops closed, and secure with twist ties. Snip 1/4 inch off of one corner for kids to use as glue to stick on their candies.

Easy, No Sew, No Glue Spooky Eyeball Halloween Garland

Boo! Scared ya, didn't I? Just play'n.

We've been super busy over here at Loverbee central. The boys and I didn't get the great start to the new school year that I was hoping for. On top of that, Nora's sleep schedule continues to derail me. I've had to cut down on baking to once a week. (deep sigh)

So, that said, here is this busy family's easy Halloween craft - easy peasy and super spookely cute.

This craft involves a little cutting, tying, and the hanging of a few simple decorations. It'll take you longer to say "Easy, No Sew, No Glue Spooky Eyeball Halloween Garland" than it will be to put this cutie together. If your kids can tie a knot, they can probably do this whole project by themselves.

Make this Easy, No Sew, No Glue Spooky Eyeball Halloween Garland for cuteness sakes!

Here's what you'll need:
4 yards burlap
3 yards orange ribbon
3 yards purple ribbon
2 dozen Christmas ornament hangers
2 dozen spooky eyeball ornaments

I found my eyeball ornaments at a 99 Cents Only store. I've also seen felt ones. If you can't find any, you can cut circles out of white card stock, have kids draw spooky eyeballs on them, and use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each.




Start by prepping your burlap. My sections came in 36 x 18 inch pieces. I kept the length and cut each piece in half longways to get a width of 9 inches. By the way, to keep your burlap from unraveling, pull out a string from the center, where you plan to cut. Then, cut along the center, right where you pulled out the string. Here's a tutorial from Decor by the Seashore if you'd like a visual.




Now, tie each piece of burlap together with a simple knot.




Next, cut your orange ribbon in half. Then, cut each piece in half again. You should end up with four, more or less, equal pieces. Do the same for the purple ribbon.




I tied my orange and purple ribbons together in between each burlap knot. I just tied a simple bow.




Have kids loop a Christmas ornament hook through each eyeball and let them go crazy adding them to the garland. I found it easiest to hang the garland first.




I draped my garland along our dining room chandelier since we don't have a proper mantel.

"Eye see you," says the Easy, No Sew, No Glue Spooky Eyeball Halloween Garland.

You can also hang it on a wall, mantel, arch, or doorway.

Eye'll be seeing ya! 😉