Yucky Brain Cake for Halloween

Halloween themed food can be cute, fun, scary or downright disgusting! This BRAIN CAKE is as realistic as it gets and it definitely belongs in that last “disgusting” category! It is nearly impossible not to be grossed out by it sitting there in all it’s bloody glory and it’s bound to attract some attention on the snack table. But all in all, a brain cake is a fantastic (and delicious) addition to any Halloween party and it won’t take you more than 10 minutes to make it.

How to make a Brain Cake

You can either bake a cake or you can use a store-bought one. I used a red velvet sponge (find the recipe for red velvet cupcakes here. Bake it for 10-15 min longer when you are making a cake) and butter icing.

Once you have the cake, layer it with the buttercream and shape it into a half-sphere. You can also use the top of the cake (that is usually cut off and discarded) to give it that curved look. Give it a quick crumb-coat. I made this layer really thin so the crumbs were seen too. There is no point trying to be extra neat at this point. It’s supposed to be a little wonky so it becomes more realistic (and it is supposed to be a fast project too, let’s not forget!)

Add the brain creases

Put red or pink buttercream into a piping bag and cut off the tip. Pipe the brain creases with the buttercream. In my haste to do this, I forgot to divide the brain into two sides first. Though it annoyed me at the time, it didn’t really make a difference on the finished cake. But if you remember, then divide the brain in the middle with the buttercream first before adding the swirls. Let the icing cool in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before you add “the blood”.

Add the blood to the brain cake… and it’s done!

The little extra touch of blood-red icing sugar poured all over the brain finishes this cake off so well! I made the icing sugar thin and runny (see the measurements below) so it would go into the creases and run all over the cake board as well. If you are making this cake for a party later, keep the cake covered in the fridge and add the runny icing before serving.

I used the magic red gel colour from Magic Colours to get this vibrant red colour.

See the full step-by-step guide below the ingredients.

Check out these other Halloween ideas:

• Merengue Ghosts for Halloween. Cute, easy to make and a sure hit with the kids
• Spooky Halloween Cakesicles. Halloween themed cakes on sticks. I have added 6 different designs so there is something for everyone.
• Severed Finger Biscuits -Perfect for Halloween. If you liked this brain cake idea, you are sure to love these bloody fingers! They are also a great way to get the kids involved. My then 4-year old can easily make and shape them by herself.
• 8 Healthy No-Bake Halloween Treats. There is no reason Halloween can’t be healthy too. Get lots of no-bake, healthy and fun Halloween ideas right here.

Hope you have lots of fun with this. Happy Halloweeeeeeeen.