Description
This Brain Cake is a spooky and delicious red velvet cake masterpiece, perfect for Halloween or themed parties. It features moist red velvet layers with rich cream cheese buttercream frosting, shaped and decorated to resemble a realistic brain, complete with edible fake blood for an extra creepy effect.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cake
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (300g)
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (10g)
- 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (350g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature (300g)
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (120g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
- 1 tsp white vinegar (4g)
- 1 tsp red gel food coloring or 1 Tbsp liquid food coloring
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
- 1 cup (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 7 cups powdered sugar (904g) or a 2lb. bag
- 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature (45g)
- small squirt of red gel food coloring or 1 tsp liquid food coloring
Edible Fake Blood
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam
- 3 Tbsp water (45g)
- 1/4 tsp red gel food coloring or 1 tsp liquid food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch or three 7-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside to combine the flavors.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color, scraping the bowl to combine fully.
- Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time on medium speed until fully combined, ensuring a smooth batter.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Slowly mix in buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and red food coloring on low speed. The batter might appear broken but it will come together after adding dry ingredients.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until fully combined with no visible streaks.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (~415g each). Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Cake Layers: Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes, then loosen edges with an offset spatula and invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Optionally, freeze layers for easier cutting.
- Shape the Brain: Stack cooled layers and trim two sides of each layer to create an oval brain shape, about 1 inch off each side. Round the top edges with a sharp knife for realism.
- Make the Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, then incorporate powdered sugar and heavy cream slowly on low speed, adjusting cream or sugar to desired consistency.
- Add Color to Frosting: Mix in a small amount of red food coloring until the frosting is light pink and evenly colored. Cover and set aside.
- Prepare Edible Blood: Whisk together seedless jam, water, and red food coloring until a thin, vibrant red mixture forms. Set aside for decorating.
- Assemble Cake: Stack the cake layers on a greaseproof board, adhering layers with frosting. Apply a thin crumb coat and chill until firm.
- Decorate Brain Details: Use a piping bag with a large round tip to pipe squiggly lines mimicking brain folds on both hemispheres. Chill until frosting firms again.
- Apply Fake Blood: Brush the edible blood mixture over the piped frosting to fill gaps and create a realistic bloody appearance, adding extra around the cake base for effect.
- Serve: Let the cake come to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 20 servings due to the trimming and shaping of the cake.
- You can prepare the cake layers ahead by baking and freezing; similarly, frosting can be made in advance and stored refrigerated or frozen.
- Use gel food coloring to prevent altering cake and frosting texture and taste.
- Make vegan or dairy-free substitutions by using plant-based milk, vegan butter, and egg replacer.
- Freezing cake layers before cutting makes shaping easier and cleaner.
- Leftover cake trimmings can be repurposed into cake pops or used as dessert toppings.
- Ensure frosting consistency is ideal for piping; adjust with cream or powdered sugar as needed.
- The cake can be stored in the fridge up to one week and frozen up to one month after assembly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/20th of cake)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
