Mirror mirrors to the ceiling, but who’s the most beautiful of all? I don’t know what you think. However, the evil witch from Snow White really gives me the creeps. The poison apple, with its creepy, drippy face, is”eesh!” That makes the whole concept perfectly appropriate for a Halloween-themed cake. I’ve been mulling this idea around my head for the past two years. I think it’s time that I actually make it. A dark, drippy poison apple cake that isn’t too scary or scary but certainly gives off the spooky Halloween feel!
One of the great benefits of creating a Halloween-themed cake is that it doesn’t require the cake to be flawless. The imperfections, bumps, and lumps make for a great time! We’ll start with an iced green cake, which is then dowsed but not completely with a black mirror glaze. You’ve probably seen many mirror glaze cake video clips that are floating around the web – it’s an interesting method that utilizes sugar, white chocolate sweetened condensed dairy, and gelatin to make an amazing glaze that’s so shiny that you can actually see your reflection in the glaze. This is why it’s called mirror glaze. The mirror aspect of this cake is a play on words, as we all know about the magical mirror that is in Snow White. The mirror-like sparkle adds an extra spooky look, which a normal drip of ganache wouldn’t be able to achieve. On top of the massive black dots are the black, shiny poison apple.
Just to be clear and ensure we’re all on the right line, the cake is completely edible and is not poison! It goes by itself, but my lovely daughter was very anxious. She questioned me with real anxiety in her voice. …”What part of the apple is poisonous Mother? Is it just the apple? Or is it poison in the cake also?”. Oh, it’s so good to be seven again!
I chose to make a chocolaty cake that had a traditional buttercream frosting since I wanted the added excitement of the contrast hues both on the inside and on the exterior. Since Halloween parties are usually targeted toward children, simple flavors are typically a safer choice for young children. However, if you’d like to be more real, one of these Apple Cake recipes could be a great choice inside.
POISON APPLE CAKE
an instructional video of the actress Carrie Sellman
Supplies:
8 round cakes, the recipe of preference
Buttercream frosting recipe, the recipe you prefer
Food gel paste coloring is available in green and yellow
Four Granny Smith apples, washed extra thoroughly to remove any waxy coat
parchment paper
scissors
baking pan
Wire rack
toothpicks
For the Mirror Glaze:
3/4 ounce of unflavored gelatin powdered (3 separate packets)
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of corn syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup of water
7 8 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
10 ounces of good quality white chocolate and chopped
Gel paste food color, in black
HOW TO MAKE THE MIRROR GLAZE:
Mix gelatin with 1/2 cup of water into a tiny bowl. Let the gelatin soften for 5 minutes. Cook corn syrup as well as sugar, 2/3 cup of water, and sweetened condensed dairy in an oven-proof medium saucepan at medium temperature. Bring to the point of boiling. Remove from the heat, add the gelatin that has been softened, and mix until all the gelatin has been incorporated. Pour the mixture over the white chocolate chopped in another bowl. Allow to set for about a moment until the chocolate is melted. Mix or use an immersion blender to mix until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup, making sure to get rid of any remaining bits of chocolate or gelatin. Incorporate black gel, one drop at a time, until you are happy with the shade attained. The color will increase in intensity when the glaze is set; be aware that a light shade of black will turn darker over time. Let the glaze cool to between 90 and 95 degrees before use. It is supposed to be thick enough to cover the spoon’s back or wider.
HOW TO MAKE THE POISON APPLE & CAKE:
Cut two ovals from parchment paper to make the eyes of the poison apple. Cut a tall, slim heart shape to form the nose. With a clean, dry finger, apply a thin coat of corn syrup over the reverse of each parchment shape. The cutouts should be placed on the apple, creating the desired facial profile. Smooth them out so that they stay to the apple.
Utilizing a spoon and using a palette knife or spoon, pour tiny portions of mirror glaze on the apple. The ice should be applied to the back, front, and side of the fruit so that the cutouts of parchment are completely covered. However, some of the apple’s green appears towards the bottom. If the glaze is flowing too fast and isn’t adhering to the apples, it is too hot. Let it cool, and then proceed.
Use a toothpick to gently pop any air bubbles and let the glaze get set for approximately five minutes. After the ice has dried, you can use the smaller edge of an ice cream knife or toothpick to assist you in removing the cutouts of parchment paper and revealing the apple that lies beneath. The outline of the nose and eyes aren’t flawless, but let us get the edges later!
With the smaller blade of a knife or using a toothpick encased in a tiny strip of tissue paper, wipe clean the outer edges of the nose and eyes. You are able to spend all or as little as you’d like in this procedure. A little drizzle here or there is bound to increase the effect.
Frost your cake with buttercream frosting colored to reflect the green hue of your fruit. I employed twice the amount of yellow as green to achieve the color as shown in this.
Cool the cake frosted for up to 20 minutes or until it is cold and firm. Put the cake on an uncooked wire rack that is inserted into an oven tray. Then, begin to drizzle the glaze on the cake’s top and let it flow across all sides and then down. Continue until you’ve got massive drips, but stop when the mirror-like glaze has coated the entire cake. We’re begging for some green buttercream that we can peek into!
Not to mention that I was busy taking pictures of the process to make sure that the cake was placed on the baking tray/wire rack at the right time! After the glaze started dripping everywhere, I was able to stop taking photos and then frantically take the cake back to the kitchen, leaving a slippery streak of dark glaze on the floor. NOT my best moment!! But I’m sure you’ll take a lesson from my experience I’m sure. Make sure you have your oven rack as well as baking pan prepared to take care of the overflow. Similar to it…
The only thing that remains to do is to add the apple at the top! I would suggest making sure you measure the dimensions of your shelves in the refrigerator prior to adding the apple because the cake needs to be refrigerated, and it may not be able to fit on top of the apple. If necessary, you can store both of the pieces in separate refrigerators and then place the apple on the cake once it is ready to serve.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
1. This method requires an extremely sturdy cake recipe and frosting recipe. It is recommended to use the butter-based cake as well as a buttercream that is truly butter.
2. Cutting cold cakes is much simpler than cutting a cake at room temperature. In general, we suggest serving the cake at room temperature. However, a semi-cold cake is more firm, and this is the moment when you’ll really need to do that! A well-formed base makes it easier to cut through glaze more easy.
3. When your glaze becomes extremely sticky, like mine, Spray your knife with cook spray or apply spray oil prior to every cut. This will help you cut into the frosting without cutting it off of the cake.
4. I included 4 Granny Smith apples in the materials, so you’ll have some apples to play with. I created three apples that I enjoyed enough to put in the article. The third apple, not as much. Therefore, plan to try it for a couple of trials to find a fruit that you are amazed at enough to finish the cake.
5. Make sure you know where you want the apple to be prior to you put it in. Once it’s there, it won’t come off without serious damage to the glaze. Do not even think about moving it. Trust me!
6. Enjoy yourself, and don’t stress about being perfect. Small bumps and lumps make everything just a little more creepy!
7. When it’s time to take a bite, the glaze is like a sweet white chocolate. It’s quite sticky and usually easy to remove. Imagine it as fondant that is better suited to appearance than flavor.