Halloween cake

To prepare the Halloween cake, first take care of the basic dough. Clean the pumpkin and cut it into cubes, you will need to obtain 500 g. Then transfer the pumpkin into a tall-sided bowl 1 and add the oil 2 and milk 3.

Blend everything with an immersion mixer 4 until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream 5. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate and melt it in the microwave or in a bain-marie, let it cool. In another large bowl, pour the eggs and brown sugar 6.

Mix with the electric whisk 7, until you get a frothy mixture. Now add the pumpkin cream 8 and whisk for a minute, until it is well blended.  Add flour 00 9 to the mixture,

almond flour 10 and baking powder 11. Mix with electric whips at low speed 12,

until a smooth and homogeneous mixture is obtained 13. Divide the dough in two equal parts 14 and add the previously melted dark chocolate to one of them, now lukewarm 15.

Mix with a hand whisk until a homogeneous mixture is obtained 16. Line two 8" (20 cm) springforms with parchment paper. Pour the milk dough into one 17 and the chocolate one into the other 18.

Bake in a static oven at 355°F (180°C) for 45 minutes. Do the toothpick test to make sure they are cooked and take them out of the oven 19 20. Let them cool then turn them upside down on a wire rack and let them cool completely.

When the bases have cooled, prepare the meringue. Pour the water and sugar in a saucepan 1 and heat the syrup until it reaches 249°F (121°C) 2. When the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C), pour the egg whites into the mixer bowl 3 and start whipping them.

When the syrup has reached the temperature of 249°F (121°C) pour it on the egg whites 4 continuing to whip 5. Work the meringue with a whisk until cold 6. Keep the meringue at room temperature until it is time to use it. The meringue can remain at room temperature for about 1 hour, obviously it always depends on the inside temperature.  In any case, we recommend storing it in a cool place but not in the refrigerator, with humidity it would tend to disassemble.

At this point prepare the cream that will be used to fill and coat the cake.  Pour the cream cheese, heavy cream 1 and honey 2 into a bowl. Mix with the electric whisk until you get a creamy texture3.

Place the chocolate spongo on a serving plate 4, if necessary you can level it with a knife. Transfer the cream just obtained in a pastry bag with a 1 cm nozzle 5 and make a circle of cream around the entire circumference of the cake 6.

With a spoon, arrange the jam in the center 7 and level it well 8. Then cover the jam with another layer of cream cheese 9.

If needed, level the second sponge, the milk one, and place it on the cream 11. Press lightly with your hands to make it adhere, then with a spatula level the cream well and spread it on the sides 11. Then cover the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese, leveling it well with a spatula 12. At this point, place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

While the cake is in the fridge, prepare the ganache for the topping.  Chop the white chocolate 1 and transfer it to a bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan 2 and bring it to a boil. As soon as the cream starts to boil, pour it on the white chocolate 3.

Then mix gently 4, without incorporating air until the chocolate has completely melted 5. Add the soluble coloring powder 6 and mix until a homogeneous color is obtained. Keep aside until the ganache is at room temperature.

As soon as the ganache is at room temperature, take the cake out of the fridge. With the help of a teaspoon, let a little ganache pour on the edge, in order to form the typical drip cake pour.  Continue this way around the entire circumference. At this point, pour the remaining ganache into the center 7 and level with a spatula 8 9.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag with a 15 mm nozzle and make the ghosts. To do this, just make a single tuft: press to create a base, lift the bag slightly and push down again to form the central part of the ghost, then lift again and make the part of the head, leaving a thin tuft 10 . With the melted chocolate, make the eyes and mouths of the ghosts 11, finishing the decoration of the Halloween cake 12!