Triple Chocolate Skull Cake Recipe for Nordic Ware Skull Cake Pan

Method

• 1)

  Preheat your oven to 325ºF, then generously coat the skull pan with butter, then flour it, remove any excess flour.

• 2)

  Fit your stand mix with the paddle attachment and add 3 Cups of Flour, 3 Cups of Sugar, 1½ Cups of Cocoa Powder, 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder, 1½ Teaspoons Baking Soda and 1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt to your mixing bowl and mix on low until it’s well combined.


  (*Using a very high quality Cocoa Powder is important for this recipe, since it’s the main flavor component, I used Rodelle Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder)

• 3)

  Add ½ Cup Vegetable Oil, ¼ Cup of melted Butter , 3 Large Eggs, 1½ Cup Milk, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract, and mix on medium speed just until everything is combined.

• 4)

  Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the boiling 1½ Cup of boiling Coffee. Once you’ve added all the coffee, increase the speed to high for about 30 seconds.

• 5)

  Fill the skull mold about 90% full in each well, you might have a little left over cake batter – you don’t need to use it all.

• 6)

  Place the skull cake pan on a baking sheet and place it on the lower 3rd rack in the oven. Bake for 50-65 Minutes. Start checking for doneness with a skewer at 50 minutes – the skewer should come out clean when the cake is done.

• 7)

  Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove them and let them cool fully on a rack.

• 8)

  Make the Chocolate Buttercream by adding 4 Tablespoons of softened Butter to your mixer, mix on high for about 2 minutes. Add ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar, ¼ Cocoa Powder and ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix on high for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy.

• 9)

  When the cakes are completely cool, place the cake halves back into the pan and with a bread knife, cut off any excess cake that has risen above the pan to even it out.

• 10)

  Remove the “back” of the skull, leaving the face of the skull in the pan and spread about ⅓ inch layer of chocolate buttercream on the cake half in the pan – reserver a few tablespoons for later. Place two 4 inch skewer into the top half and bottom of the skull. Carefully line up the back of the skull and stack it on top of the skull in the pan and press down firmly. Wrap the exposed cake with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to firm up the buttercream (about 30-60 minutes).

• 11)

  Carefully remove the skull cake from the pan and place on your cooling rack. Using the leftover buttercream, even out the area where the two halves connect to avoid seeing the seam.

• 12)

  Make the Chocolate Ganache by placing the 8 oz of chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoons of butter into a glass bowl or glass measuring cup. Heat 1 Cup of Heavy Cream on low, stirring occasionally – as soon as it starts to bubble, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until you have a smooth mixture.

• 13)

  Place the cooling rack with the cake on top of a baking sheet. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache over the skull to cover it entirely. You can use a spoon or spatula to spread it over the areas that are missed. You can leave it as is or cover it with edible glitter or sugar sprinkles. You can serve the slices with a generous dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!