Candy Corn Cake
By Sarah EwaldPublished on August 6, 2019
Time
2 hours, plus 1¼ hours cooling and 1 hour chilling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Cake
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon table salt 1 ¼ cups boiling water 4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar 3 large eggs, room temperature½ cup sour cream, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon black gel food coloringFrosting
1 pound (454 grams) (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened½ teaspoon table salt 2 ⅓ cups (9⅓ ounces/265 grams) confectioners' sugar 1 pound (454 grams/3½ cups) marshmallow crème 4 teaspoons orange gel food coloring ¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring 2 ¼ teaspoons yellow gel food coloring45-50 pieces candy corn
Before You Begin
For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. We developed this recipe with Marshmallow Fluff.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. In second bowl, whisk boiling water, chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and black food coloring and beat until incorporated.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edges of pans. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, at least 1 hour.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip butter and salt on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and slowly add sugar. Increase speed to medium and whip until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add marshmallow crème, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature until softened, about 1 hour, and whip in stand mixer until light and fluffy before using.)
- Transfer 1⅓ cups frosting to each of 2 small bowls. Add orange and red food coloring to first bowl and yellow food coloring to second bowl, stirring well to combine. Set aside remaining white frosting.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake turntable. Spread 1 cup yellow frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 1 cup orange frosting over top, right to edge of cake. Top with remaining cake layer, pressing lightly to adhere. Spread 1½ cups white frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes.
- Using offset spatula, spread remaining ⅓ cup yellow frosting over bottom third of sides of cake. Spread remaining ⅓ cup orange frosting over middle third of sides of cake. Spread ⅓ cup white frosting over top third of sides of cake. While spinning cake turntable, run edge of offset spatula around cake to blend colors and smooth sides of cake.
- Arrange candy corn around top edge of cake, alternating orientation of white side and yellow side. Fill pastry bag fitted with ½-inch-wide straight tip with remaining 1¼ cups white frosting and pipe dots inside ring of candy corn. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, at least 30 minutes. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
Time
2 hours, plus 1¼ hours cooling and 1 hour chillingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Cake
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups boiling water
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon black gel food coloring
Frosting
1 pound (454 grams) (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon table salt
2 ⅓ cups (9⅓ ounces/265 grams) confectioners' sugar
1 pound (454 grams/3½ cups) marshmallow crème
4 teaspoons orange gel food coloring
¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring
2 ¼ teaspoons yellow gel food coloring
45-50 pieces candy corn
Ingredients
Cake
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups boiling water
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon black gel food coloring
Frosting
1 pound (454 grams) (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon table salt
2 ⅓ cups (9⅓ ounces/265 grams) confectioners' sugar
1 pound (454 grams/3½ cups) marshmallow crème
4 teaspoons orange gel food coloring
¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring
2 ¼ teaspoons yellow gel food coloring
45-50 pieces candy corn
Ingredients
Cake
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups boiling water
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon black gel food coloring
Frosting
1 pound (454 grams) (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon table salt
2 ⅓ cups (9⅓ ounces/265 grams) confectioners' sugar
1 pound (454 grams/3½ cups) marshmallow crème
4 teaspoons orange gel food coloring
¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring
2 ¼ teaspoons yellow gel food coloring
45-50 pieces candy corn
Why This Recipe Works
We concocted this bewitching cake inspired by an iconic Halloween treat: candy corn. We wanted to create the deepest, darkest chocolate cake possible to contrast with the brightly colored buttercream, so we added black gel food coloring to the cake batter to turn it midnight black. When we colored the buttercream, the yellow gel coloring worked perfectly, but the orange gel coloring produced a dull orange color. We found that mixing a small amount of red gel coloring with the orange gel coloring created the perfect bright-orange hue. The gel coloring also worked far better than liquid food dye for the vibrant colors we were after. To mimic the look of the classic Halloween candy, we blended the yellow, orange, and white buttercreams into one another on the outside of the cake with a surprise pop of color on the inside. For the final touch we topped the cake with a colorful ring of candy corn, making it truly Halloween ready! Read more about our recipe development here.
Before You Begin
For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. We developed this recipe with Marshmallow Fluff.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. In second bowl, whisk boiling water, chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and black food coloring and beat until incorporated.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edges of pans. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, at least 1 hour.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip butter and salt on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and slowly add sugar. Increase speed to medium and whip until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add marshmallow crème, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature until softened, about 1 hour, and whip in stand mixer until light and fluffy before using.)
- Transfer 1⅓ cups frosting to each of 2 small bowls. Add orange and red food coloring to first bowl and yellow food coloring to second bowl, stirring well to combine. Set aside remaining white frosting.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake turntable. Spread 1 cup yellow frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 1 cup orange frosting over top, right to edge of cake. Top with remaining cake layer, pressing lightly to adhere. Spread 1½ cups white frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes.
- Using offset spatula, spread remaining ⅓ cup yellow frosting over bottom third of sides of cake. Spread remaining ⅓ cup orange frosting over middle third of sides of cake. Spread ⅓ cup white frosting over top third of sides of cake. While spinning cake turntable, run edge of offset spatula around cake to blend colors and smooth sides of cake.
- Arrange candy corn around top edge of cake, alternating orientation of white side and yellow side. Fill pastry bag fitted with ½-inch-wide straight tip with remaining 1¼ cups white frosting and pipe dots inside ring of candy corn. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, at least 30 minutes. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
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