Dark Chocolate Skull Cakes

For the cakelets:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 cup extra-dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicila
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon black food color, if desired

Chocolate Glaze:

• 3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare the Skull Cakelet pan with baking spray or brush with butter and dust with cocoa. Whisk the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together. In a separate bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars together until creamy and lightened, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the extracts. Put the mixer on low speed and add the buttermilk alternately with the dry ingredients in 4 additions. Mix until smooth. Add black food color to desired shade if using. Fill pan no more than 3/4 full in each well. Tap pan on top of a cutting board covered with a heavy kitchen towel to evenly distribute batter and eliminate air bubbles from the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow cakelets to cool in pan 5-8 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter.

Prepare the glaze by adding chocolate to a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream until just beginning to steam and pour over chocolate, stirring with a spatula to incorporate while chocolate melts. When all chocolate has melted, pour over cooled cakeletes. Garnish as desired with candy decorations or decorating sprinkles. Makes 12 cakes.