This cake is a classic recipe in the Turner household. Halloween has always been a big deal in our family- each year everyone had homemade costumes and we hosted a hot dog roast in our yard for all the neighborhood families.
Something everyone always remembers from those parties is the famous “Ghosty Cake,” complete with fiery eyes.
Ghosty cake is a Devil’s food cake (get it? Halloween? Devil’s food??) with cream cheese frosting and flaming eyes. The eyes are made by placing a sugar cube and alcohol in clean and dry egg shells and lighting them on fire. (Don’t worry, we’ll show you how to do this!) You use the egg shells from the cake recipe, so they’re pulling double duty.
We used a box cake mix for ease and speed (plus, it’s a great way to involve the kiddos in the baking process!), but you can certainly go for the gold and make a cake from scratch if you wish.
First Step: Make the cake according to the package’s directions. When cracking the eggs, try and do this carefully and evenly to create equal halves for later use. Set these aside.
While the cake is cooking, wash out the egg shells and set aside to dry.
Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool for at least an hour. When it is cool, cut it into a ghost shape. To do this, round the corners at the top and carve a scallop pattern along the bottom. Frost the cake with white frosting of your choosing (we used cream cheese here). You can swirl the frosting to create designs that make it look like the ghost is floating!
Finally, place the clean and dry egg shells where the eyes of the ghost would be. Add a sugar cube to each shell. Carefully spoon in a teaspoon of tequila over each sugar cube (the egg shell will prevent the liquid from seeping into the cake). VERY CAREFULLY light the sugar on fire. We recommend using a long stemmed lighter rather than a match.
Turn off the lights and present the spooky cake! Be prepared for oohs and ahhs!
Pro Tips:
- After you bake the cake and remove it from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes on the counter, then put it in the freezer to quick-cool and to firm it up for cutting.
- Always use a serrated knife to cut a cake into any shape.
- When you light the sugar cube eyes, gather everyone around for the show, do it quickly with the lights off!
**Please be cautious when working with alcohol and fire. Seriously, it can be dangerous.**
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