Food 
Step-by-Step Guide to Mixing Your Spooky Cake Base
Hey, spooky season aficionados! It’s time to conjure up a vegan chocolate cake that’s so indulgently dark it might just make even the staunchest non-vegan skeptics second-guess themselves. Here’s what you’ll need to summon the dark arts into your baking bowl:
- 1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
Kick things off by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). In a large mixing cauldron, ahem, I mean bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate vessel, whisk together the almond milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until well combined. Unite the wet and dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Now for the magic—gradually stir in the boiling water. The batter will be bewitchingly thin, but don’t be alarmed!
Pour this mystic mixture into two greased 9-inch cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when they’re ready. Allow the cakes to cool before they make their ghostly escape from the pans.
Choosing Your Creepy Decor
Time to raise your cake from the dead with some chilling charm. For the tombstones, fashion some out of vegan cookies, or cut tombstone shapes from gray-tinted fondant. Use an edible marker to scribble eerie epitaphs like “R.I.P” or a chilling “Beware!”
Our ghostly figures will be crafted from vegan marshmallows, easily found at your local health food store. With edible pens, draw terrified or terrifying faces, or drape them with mini cloaks fashioned from thinly rolled fondant.
Don’t hold back on the graveyard flair! Consider using crumbled leftovers as ‘chocolate soil’, or invite some gummy worms to the party for that extra creep factor.
Assembling the Graveyard Scene
Begin by leveling the cooled cakes with a knife if needed. Spread a generous layer of vegan chocolate frosting over the first cake layer. Top it with the second cake, then frost the entire assembly to form a spooky canvas.
Sprinkle your cake with the ‘chocolate soil’, then arrange your tombstone cookies to stand up like real stones. Dot the landscape with your marshmallow ghosts and maybe let a gummy worm or two peek out from under the ground.
Haunted Serving Suggestions
Set the scene for your ghastly reveal with dimmed lights and flickering candles—just keep them clear of any costumes! This creates the perfect ambiance to showcase your culinary crypt.
Pair this devilish dessert with a blood-red punch. Mix cranberry juice with a fizz of sparkling water and a twist of lime. Serve it in ghoulish glassware or, for a bewitching touch, in potion-like cauldrons.
Armed with this terrifyingly tasty vegan cake and a shadowy atmosphere, you’re ready for a Halloween bash that’s both spine-chilling and heartwarming. Remember, the real thrill of Halloween comes from the eerie thrills and the joyous trickery shared among friends. Happy haunting, my fellow ghouls!
If you enjoyed this recipe or have suggestions on how we can improve it, please leave us a comment below. Also, make sure to check out other dishes I’ve created or stories I’ve written about food culture – here.
