HALLOWEEN VINTAGE CAKE

Instructions

Reference the downloadable project sheet for project pattern diagrams.

1. Melt white chocolate and use oil based colour to tint the chocolate to your desired colours. We used colour mill in peach, lavender & baby pink. Fill the skull mould with melted chocolate.
   Pro Tip - Pull and stretch the mould when filled with melted chocolate to help release airbubbles trapped in small spaces, tap on bench to bring to surface.
2. Fill chocolate mould with coloured chocolate to about 1/4 full. Solid colours work well but experiment with two tone elements if you're feeling adventurous.
3. Place moulds in the fridge to speed up the process - chocolate contracts in the cold which will help you when re-leasing from the silicone moulds. To release, pull and stretch the silicone mould and push out of the mould paying particular attention to any areas that might be fragile.
4. Using some chocolate, attach some wooden skewers to the back of the decorations you would like to stand up. You can cut the skewers later when styling, don't trim them just yet.
5. To mark your starting points for your ruffle swags. Wrap some parchment paper around your chilled cake. This will need to be approx. half the height of your cake.
   Note: This method is great for beginners and is the simplest and easiest way to achieve ruffle swags. If you have more experience and feel comfortable piping without guides then skip this step and pipe away.
6. Fold the band into 6 sections (or more if you'd like) Unfold and wrap lightly around the chilled cake.
7. Mark the folded points with the tip of a skewer. This will be the highest points of your swags.
8. Remove the parchment paper band and trim about 1.5 inch off (about 4cm) and unfold. Wrap back around the chilled cake, only this time, you will place the fold in the middle of the guides you just created. This will be the lowest point of your ruffle swag.
9. Using tip 70 and a filled piping bag with your chosen frosting, pipe a ruffle about 1 cm away from around the base of the cake. A turntable will help with decorating but isn't required.
   Pro Tip - Lift the piping tip up from the board and with a firm and steady pressure squeeze out the frosting. This will naturally fall and create an even frill.
10. Using tip 70 and a filled piping bag with your chosen frosting, pipe a ruffle about 1 cm away from around the base of the cake. A turntable will help with decorating but isn't required.
    Pro Tip - Lift the piping tip up from the board and with a firm and steady pressure squeeze out the frosting. This will naturally fall and create an even frill.
11. Starting at the highest marked point pipe the frosting onto the side of the cake and move down towards the lowest mark and back up to the highest point.
    Pro Tip - We have created a template for you to practice, print this out and place under some parchment paper.
12. Using piping tip 6B and a piping bag filled with your frosting, pipe a shell border along the top and bottom edge. We have attached a template for you to practice.
    Pro Tip - When practicing, hold the piping tip at the widest point of the tear drop. Squeeze and fill the space and then pull away to create the peak, your frosting should be soft and not firm.
13. Randomly place the chocolate skull decorations along the bottom edge, have fun with this - get creative. Place the decorations on skewers in the top of the cake. This is when you trim the skewers to create height.
    Pro Tip - Play with angles and different heights. We find odd number of decorations work great (we used 5).
14. Add extra details and texture with the bento box sprinkle - we added on some mini bats, ghosts, bones and skulls.
    Pro Tip - For extra control with sprinkles, use a teaspoon and gently tap the spoon.