Halloween is among the oldest traditions in the world as it touches on an essential element of the human condition: the relationship between the living and the dead. The observance evolved from ancient rituals marking the transition from summer to winter, thereby associating it with transformation, which is still a central theme of the holiday.
Every recorded civilization has created some form of ritual observance focused on what happens to people when they die, where they go, and how the living should best honor those who have passed or respond to the dead who seem unwilling or unable to move on. Countries around the world today celebrate Halloween in one form or another, from Mexico's Day of the Dead to China's Tomb Sweeping Day. The modern-day observance of Halloween in countries such as the United States and Canada β where this tradition is most popular β share in this ancient tradition, even though some aspects of the holiday are relatively recent developments, and can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain. These paragraphs are from World History.
My Favorite Halloween Treat: Black Chocolate Witch Cake
Ingredients
The Black Chocolate Cake
4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
3/4 c. black cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. unsalted butter (melted)
1 c. vegetable or canola oil
2 c. ice-cold water
5 large eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
The Buttercream Frosting
2 1/2 c. (5 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 lb. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
Green, purple, and orange gel food coloring
The Chocolate Ganache
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1 c. heavy cream
For Decorating
Dirt (crumbs made from reserved tops of the cake and chocolate wafer cookies)
Bone-shaped sprinkles
Toothpicks (use to adhere some of the decorations)
Witch's hat (black fondant)
Witch's hair (shredded wheat cereal)
Bats (wire, purple fondant, red fondant, black fondant)
Pumpkin (orange fondant, green fondant, brown fondant)
Crow (black fondant, gray fondant, runts candies)
Googly eyes
Directions
Make the Black Chocolate Cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat four 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper, then spray the parchment.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using an electric mixer, in a second large bowl, whisk together the butter and oil. Add the ice cold water and whisk until well combined, 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla. With the mixer running, gradually add the flour cocoa mixture.
Divided the batter among the prepared pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan). Tap each pan on a countertop a couple of times (this helps eliminate any air bubbles and evenly distribute the batter). Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add confectioners' sugar, alternating with heavy cream. Mix in vanilla extract. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Divided the frosting among 3 medium bowls (2 1/2 cups per bowl) and tint sing green, purple, and orange gel food coloring. Transfer each color to a separate resealable 1-quart plastic bag.
Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until just bubbling around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, stir once, then let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
Assemble the Cake: Using a large serrated knife, cut the rounded tops off each cake so they are level and even in thickness (save the tops of the cakes). Transfer one layer of cake to a 9-inch cake board.
Snip 1/2 inch off a corner of the green frosting bag. Pipe the frosting around the top edge of the cake. Pipe the remaining green buttercream in the middle of the cake, then use an offset spatula to spread evenly; place another cake layer on top. Repeat with the purple icing, then the orange.
Spoon the cooled ganache over the top, using the back of a spoon to coax the ganache slightly over the edges of the cake.
Decorate the Cake: Place the cake on a platter and arrange the cake crumbs around the base of the cake. Arrange the cookie pieces and crumbs on top of the cake. Shape the fondant into the witch's hat and shoes, bats, pumpkin and crow.
How to Carve a Pumpkin
Choose a pumpkin that's fresh, with a sturdy stem, no bruises and a flat bottom so it won't roll while you carve.
Michael Natiello, pumpkin carving pro and creative director for The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze, says cutting your "lid" from the bottom of the pumpkin helps prevent the sides from caving in later.
This way it won't drop inside the pumpkin when you put it back on top, like it would with a straight up-and-down cut. A boning knife should work well for this.
You can buy a special "claw" for pumpkin gutting, but an ice cream scoop will do just fine. Thin the inner wall of the "face" area to 1ΒΌ-inch thick, so it will be easier to pierce the shell.
If you draw your jack-o'-lantern face to size, Natiello says you can use it as a pattern: Just tape it to the front of your pumpkin and use a fork or pencil to poke holes along the lines you want to carve. (Or save yourself from creative blocks by getting a pumpkin carving kit, complete with a marker, scraper, cutting tools and pre-made patterns.)
It's easier to create features when the face is gazing up at you. Natiello suggests using a serrated kitchen knife or an X-Acto knife for carving, but to make intricate designs, you could try using a small saw. Just don't cut on a slant β clean up-and-down slices look best.
If you get the big pieces of pumpkin out of the way first, you can go back and clean up the edges of your design later.
Make a tongue, pipe or hair accessories out of a discarded piece of pumpkin shell, for example.
Natiello recommends spreading petroleum jelly on the cut edges to seal in moisture. If your pumpkin still shrivels a few days later, you can revive it with a facedown soak in cold water for up to eight hours.
Natiello recommends spreading petroleum jelly on the cut edges to seal in moisture. If your pumpkin still shrivels a few days later, you can revive it with a facedown soak in cold water for up to eight hours.
First, leave the lid on for a few minutes while the candle burns. Then make a small hole where the lid has blackened.
That way, when you light the candle, your jack-o'-lantern will smell like a pumpkin pie. Yum.
