Very Friendly Miniature Ghost Cakes, Cute Bakes: Adorable Kawaii-Inspired Cakes & Treats by Juliet Sear. Photography by Jacqui Melville.
Cute Bakes is a baking and decorating book containing over 30 cute Kawaii-inspired cakes, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, cake pops and more.
Each design is super quick, super cute and super easy to make. Try an avocado cookie, a unicorn cake, adorable kitten donuts, bunny rabbit macaroons and more. These seriously sweet treats not only look amazing, they taste delicious.
Juliet shows easy step-by-step instructions on how to ice and decorate your creations to perfection, making them the perfect gift or party treat. From larger cakes to small cookies and cupcakes, there’s something to suit every occasion.
Fun, tasty and totally cute—it’s time to get your bake on!
Cute Bakes: Adorable Kawaii-Inspired Cakes & Treats is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.
Very Friendly Miniature Ghost Cakes
SKILL LEVEL EASY
Who says Halloween has to be terrifying and scary? Make it fun and adorable with these chubby little friendly ghost cakes—the perfect treat for a party or as holiday presents. Makes 12.
STUFF YOU’LL NEED
1 batch ready-baked cupcakes (Fluffy Vanilla Cake, see below)
- apricot jam
- 12 large shop-bought marshmallows (1 per cupcake)
- icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
- 1kg (2lb3oz) white sugar paste (fondant)
- a little soft-peak white Royal Icing, in a piping bag fitted with a number 2 round nozzle, for sticking
- a little black sugar paste (fondant), for decorating
- 1 cm round cutters, for eyes
- black edible pen (fine-tip), for face details
- pink edible dusting powder, for cheeks
- small paintbrush, for applying dusting powder
Remove the paper cases from the cupcakes. Warm the apricot jam, and brush it over the top and sides of each cupcake. Stick a large marshmallow on top—if they are really big, you can cut these in half.
Pop in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds until the marshmallow begins to go squishy and melt onto the cake. Brush a little more jam over the sponge and marshmallow.
Dust your work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the white sugar paste and cut out squares large enough to cover the top and sides of each cupcake, making sure you have some excess icing.
Place a square of white sugar paste on top of each cupcake and smooth it down with your hands.
Cut around the base of the cake, making a little tail to one side. Set aside any off-cuts for making the hands.
Press the icing gently onto the cake to mould the cute ghostly body. Leave the little tail flowing to one side. To make the ghost hands, use the off-cuts and roll into 24 little balls of icing. Mould these into cones, then flatten slightly and stick 2 to either side of each ghost with white royal icing.
Finish by rolling out the black sugar paste to 5 mm (¼ in).
Cut out circles for the eyes and stick these to the ghosts with a little royal icing. Pipe white dots onto the eyes to add sparkle. Add a cute smile using black edible pen, and dust over some pink powder to make cheeks.
Fluffy Vanilla Cake
You can use this recipe to make simple vanilla cupcakes or bake in larger tins for layer cakes.
Make sure your ingredients are all at room temperature. Makes 12–16 cupcakes, depending on size, or 2 × 20 cm (8 in) round sponge layers
STUFF YOU’LL NEED
300 g (10½ oz/2½ sticks) soft salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
300 g (10½ oz/1½ cups) golden caster (superfine) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
6 medium free-range eggs, lightly beaten
300 g (10½ oz/2½ cups) self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350 °F/Gas 4). Grease 2 × 20 cm (8 in) round cake tins or a 12-hole cupcake tray.
Place the butter, sugar and vanilla or other flavourings into a mixing bowl and combine. If using an electric mixer, turn the speed to high (or if you’re using a wooden spoon, use plenty of elbow grease!) and beat until the mixture is very pale, soft and fluffy and the granules of sugar have disappeared.
Add the beaten eggs, about one-quarter at a time, beating them in slowly each time.
Add the flour gradually, one-quarter at a time, mixing gently on a slow speed, until it has mostly been incorporated. Then, add the baking powder. Fold with a metal spoon if doing this by hand. Take care not to mix or beat vigorously or your sponge can turn out a bit tough. Scrape the mixture into cupcake cases or lined tins as required.
For cupcakes, bake for around 12–15 minutes, checking every few minutes.
For a larger cake, begin checking after 20 minutes.
Remember, all ovens vary so if in doubt use an oven thermometer. The cakes should be a light golden brown, springy to the touch. A sharp knife or metal skewer should come out clean and free of mixture when inserted into the centre.
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Hardie Grant Books.