If you serve this Halloween cake you don't have to worry about hearing any "Boos."
Serves 12 Portions of Pumpkin Spice Graveyard Cake with Shortbread Headstones
Ingredients:
- -- For the shortbread headstones:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- -- For the cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup canola or safflower oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- zest from 1 orange
- 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- -- For the glaze:
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 10 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate
Preparation:
For the shortbread dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture. Transfer the dough to plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugars with the oil until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel, beating until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips and the coconut.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 40-50 minutes. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Bake the shortbread: Preheat the oven to 275F degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the shortbread dough to 1/8-inch thick. Using a paring knife, cut out "tombstone" shapes, consisting of a flat bottom, slanted sided, and a rounded top. Cut out 12 tombstones and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies until set but not browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Prepare the chocolate glaze: Stir together the cream and the honey in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until smooth.
Set the cake, top-side up, on a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with foil. Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the cake. Using a small offset spatula or knife, gently smooth the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate until set.
Decorate the tombstones: Melt the 3 ounces of chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Let the chocolate stand until cool but not stiff. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip. Pipe designs and "RIP" on cookies. Top the cake with some of the tombstones and serve the remaining cookies on the side.
