Black Cat Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans. Bake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cake to level surface; place cut side down. Cut cake as shown in diagram; arrange pieces on serving tray. Attach pieces together with a small amount of frosting. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting. Use yellow fruit snacks or gumdrop slices for eyes, black gumdrop for nose and shoestring licorice for whiskers, lines on eyes and front paws. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the figs, almond butter and water. Blend until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Using a small ice-cream scoop, scoop 1 tablespoon of the fig mixture at a time and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Insert a lollipop stick into each fig ball.
• Place the chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Drop the fig balls into the melted chocolate and, using a fork, roll to coat evenly. Remove the fig balls, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, and place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the chocolate has set.
• Using a small pair of scissors, cut the fruit leather into small squares to make noses for the cats and triangles for the ears. Dip the ends of the ears in the leftover dark chocolate and stick them on the cats. Repeat with the squares for the noses.
• Place the white chocolate and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer the chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe eyes and whiskers on the cats. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes, filling paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Using a star tip, frost tops of cupcakes. Insert two cookie pieces into each for ears, splitting Oreos if desired to expose filling. Decorate faces as desired with assorted candies.

Steps:

• Lightly dust your work surface with icing sugar, then roll out a quarter of the black fondant icing to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out two triangles for the ears and leave to dry overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (about 7.5cm deep). Put the dark chocolate in a medium pan with the butter. Mix 1 tbsp coffee granules into 125ml cold water and add to the pan. Warm over a low heat until just melted - don't let it boil. Alternatively, melt in the microwave for about 5 mins, stirring halfway through.
• Mix the flour, bicarb and sugar with the cocoa powder. Beat the eggs with the milk. Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything together to make a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hr 25-1 hr 35 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the top feels firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins - the top may sink a little as it cools - then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Cut the cake horizontally into three.
• To make the frosting, put the butter in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, then stir in enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. Sandwich the layers of the cake together using a small amount of frosting. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then stir it into the remaining frosting. Use the mixture to cover the sides and the top of the cake.
• Stick the black fondant ears into the top of the cake. Cut out two yellow or orange fondant circles to make the eyes and use the black fondant to make the pupils. Stick these onto the cake and add a heart-shaped jelly sweet for the nose. Use Pocky sticks, Matchmakers or liquorice cut into lengths for the whiskers.