This is year I’ve been planning a scary Halloween Cake, and after much consideration of themes I decided to do a “Black Forest Cherry Halloween Cake w/ caramel frosting, surrounded by marshmallow spider webbing.”

Each stage is prepared on separate days, as this cake takes time and patience. The First Stage I’m going to make a “Vampire Coffin” out of sugar cookies. I got this idea after watching Season 2 Episode 4 “ Day After Halloween and Ancient Coffin“ from Halloween Cookie Challenge on FoodTV Network. After seeing the 3D Vampire Coffin made out of sugar cookies, I just had incorporate it into my Halloween Cake Theme.

Without further ado — let’s make our 3D VAMPIRE COFFIN

FIRST STAGE

Prepare your stencil VAMPIRE COFFIN using cardboard— See my photos and video for full instructions.

Begin making Sugar Cookies 👇

Orange Pecan Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup ( 2 sticks ) salted butter ( room temperature)

1 cup of sugar or Icing Sugar ( more delicate w/ icing sugar. Because this particular sugar cookie is used as eatable building construction material, I highly suggest the 1 cup of sugar instead of icing sugar. However, when make a bunch of sugar cookies, go ahead and use icing sugar instead. )

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of Orange zest

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/4 cup of crushed roasted sugar Pecan

METHOD:

Whisk the egg and vanilla in a small bowl, then set aside.

In a large bowl sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cornstarch , and salt. Mix together with wooden spoon.

With a hand-held mixer in a large bowl or your favourite mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add 1 cup of sugar and continue beating until light, approximately 2 minutes. Mix in the Orange zest now.

Scrape the sides of the bowl again. then Add the egg mixture, beating for about 1 minute.

Reduce the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture one cup at a time, until all the flour mixture is incorporated. Turn the dough out of the bowl.

Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Flour your surface and begin forming out the cookie dough with your hand.

Now, begin rolling out the cookie dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. ( See photo below)

NOW — use your VAMPIRE COFFIN Stencil ( see photo) to cut shape of 3D Coffin. I divided the measurements in half so it will fit on top of my cake.

Place on baking sheet w/ liner and bake at 350 degrees F for 12 – 14 minutes, depending on thickness and your oven. Careful that they do not overcook. Start watching them at the 10 minute mark and no longer then 14 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes so you can transfer them to a cutting board or counter w/ parchment paper. Please let sit for 20 minutes or place in fridge to cool down quickly, before assembling the VAMPIRE COFFIN.

NOW – it’s perfect time to make your Royal Icing. Royal Icing will be your glue, sort-of-speak. Because we want everything dark, you can add dark brown to black food colouring or cocoa powder to your Royal Icing.

Royal Icing ( Divide into 3 for separate colours)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tablespoons ( 15 g ) meringue powder

2 cups ( 260 g) sifted Icing Sugar

First Colour : 1 drop of dark brown or black food colouring

Second Colour : 1 drop of red food colouring

Third Colour : Just keep White

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) of warm water

Method :

Beat the meringue powder, icing sugar and warm water w/ electric mixer, up to 10 – 12 minutes, until a nice formed peak is achieved.

Place Royal Icing in separate small bowls and decide the colours you want. For example, I wanted dark brown, white and red Royal Icing.

Decorate all the pieces ( up side only) before building the COFFIN.

Begin building your VAMPIRE COFFIN using the Royal Icing as your glue. Place Royal Icing into piping bag to begin. See video and photos Once the VAMPIRE COFFIN is done, set to the side so it won’t get damaged. You can leave out for up to four days. This will give you a chance to move onto Stage Two, if you’re looking to make the full Halloween Cake. If not, you can easily use as a centre piece on Halloween 🎃 Evening with more decorated Halloween Sugar Cookies around your centre piece.

First Stage is now complete. Like and Follow me for upcoming updates…

Happy Halloween 🎃

Chef Bari