Dark Chocolate Cookies and Cream Skull Cake

Cake:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup black cocoa powder or extra-dark cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 12 Oreo cookies, crushed

Buttercream:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/ 4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/ 2 tsp milk
• 1/ 4 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Vanilla Cream Glaze:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 4-5 Tbsp milk

Cake:

Note before starting: Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Prepare Haunted Skull Cake Pan with baking spray containing flour and use a pastry brush to evenly coat the details of both halves of the pan.  Alternately, prep pan with softened butter or shortening and dust with cocoa.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, both cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla together. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Brew coffee and use a liquid measuring cup to measure out 1/2 cup. Add to batter and mix until the batter is thin and runny. Add the Oreo cookies to a large plastic bag and crush into coarse crumbs. Gently fold the cookie crumbs into the batter until evenly dispersed. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the pan until 3/4 full, making sure to split between the two halves evenly. Lay out a dish towel and tap the pan to release all air bubbles. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack before flipping it onto the rack. Let the cake cool completely before assembly.

Butter Cream Frosting:

In a bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and beat until light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

Assemble:

When completely cool, return the cake halves back into the pan. With a serrated knife, gently cut the excess cake on both halves that rose above the edge of the pan. Then remove the front half of the cake from the pan, leaving the back half in the pan. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the back half that is still in the pan. Take the front half of the cake and press down gently onto the buttercream to secure the halves together. For additional stability, place a 4-inch skewer into the base of the skull and another one into the upper half of the skull on the back side of the cake. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake until the buttercream is firm.

Vanilla Cream Glaze:

In a small bowl, combine sugar and butter. Add vanilla and stir in milk gradually to achieve desired consistency is thin and pourable. Add the assembled cake to a wire cooling grid with a sheet pan underneath to catch excess glaze. Gently pour glaze over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides naturally.

Prepare a serving plate by placing buttercream in the center, about 1 1/2 Tbsp. Remove the cake from the cooling grid using a cake lifter and place the cake upright on top of the buttercream to help secure on plate. Decorate the plate with additional Oreo cookie crumbs if desired.