BOO! Scared ya, didn't I? Today I'll be sharing my recipe for this cute little black cake. It's spicy. It's chocolatey. And it's so stinkin' cuuuute. There's something about a pitch black cake that just gets me. I'm normally attracted to colors, but an ALL black cake is so deep & dark it's almost elegant (except I decided to pop a couple meringues on top and make it all cutesy). This cake was definitely inspired by a pintrest picture and of course, halloween. I usually don't celebrate halloween, nor is it my favorite holiday, but as I grow older I can see why people love it so much.... candy. Am I right??? haha! I'm joking, but also not joking (cause I love my vanilla tootsie rolls). It is definitely the time of year to get creative and express yourself, and like I said, as I grow up, I crave that creativity, and watching people step out of their comfort zones & create such out of the box costumes or face makeup is fascinating. It is such a great push for me to get out of my own head too. Does that even make sense?! Any-who, it finally pushed me to make some halloween themed goodies which are completely not my thing, but it so is now lol.On the other hand, the blog has been down for almost a week & I had no way of getting my other fall recipes up, so expect a bunch of tastiness coming in right before thanksgiving! And speaking of thanksgiving, for the first time in my life I won't be spending it with family, as An and I will be traveling to Hong Kong & Thailand for two week in November. Crazy! I'm stoked because it'll be my first long flight/trip since my anxiety started. Naturally I'm nervous, well because...anxiety, but I'm also very excited. I can't wait to share our trip with you. Hong Kong is where my parents are from and I've been there plenty of times because I still have family over there, but Thailand will be a completely new experience. I already know I'll fall in love with the culture, but I'm looking forward to learning more in person, and of course eat good food. Have a marvelous Monday!

P.S. you can make this a non-halloween themed cake too, it's a great chocolate cake for anytime of the year :)


SPICY MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM & GHOST MERINGUES RECIPE

makes (1) 6in cake


INGREDIENTS

for the spicy mexican chocolate cake 

  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cups of dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cayenne powder
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

for the chocolate buttercream

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
  • 6 oz. dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more)
  • 3 tbsp. heavy cream (if you want a thinner consistency)
  • 1 tbsp. black gel food coloring (optional for halloween)

for the ghost meringues 

  • 2 egg whites (room temp)
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 almond extract
  • 3 oz dark chocolate (melted)


DIRECTIONS

for the spicy mexican chocolate cake 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Butter & flour three 6in cake pans and line with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.
  • Add in all wet ingredients except eggs & mix.
  • Add in the eggs last & mis to incorporate.
  • Pour evenly into prepared pans & bake for 20mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let it cool for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

for the chocolate buttercream

  • Microwave the chocolate in 20 second intervals until all is melted, stirring in between each stop. Cool slightly, it should be warm to the touch, but not burning hot.
  • Beat butter & 3 cups of the powdered sugar in a stand mixer till light and fluffy.
  • Pour in the chocolate and continue to beat, scraping down the sides as necessary.
  • Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt & gel food coloring if using & beat till combined.
  • If the mixture is too thick, add a heavy cream, 1 tbsp. at a time till desired consistency. If it is not sweet enough, add the last cup of powdered sugar in gradually till desired taste.
  • Let the frosting sit a while for it to become "black".
  • Once the cakes are cooled, frost it with 1/4 cup between each layer. Frost the rest on the top & smooth out the sides with a cake bench. Chill the cake in the fridge while you prepare the meringues, if making.

for the ghost meringues 

  • Preheat oven to 225°F
  • In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites & cream of tartar till soft peaks.
  • Gradually add the sugar & beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy, shiny & thick. It should hold its shape completely.
  • Add the almond extract & mix to incorporate.
  • Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with the tip cut off & pipe the meringues onto a pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 1 hour till they are firm & dried out. Turn the oven off & let them dry completely for another hour.
  • Once cooled, use a toothpick to dot the eyes on the ghosts. Another option is to transfer to a piping bag and cut a tiny bit of the tip off and pipe the eyes on.
  • Place the meringues on the cooled cake before serving as the moisture will make them too sticky to handle & have a more soggy/chewy texture.