This brain pinata cake exploding with bloody maggots is the perfect addition to your Halloween dessert table.
Brain pinata cake (filled with bloody maggots)
I know you probably took one look at this cake and thought ‘oh dear, Claire has lost the plot.’
I promise I haven’t.
Well that’s just my opinion, maybe ask Will but I’m pretty sure he would agree.
It’s just, I love a good theme.
This started with my Mum.
She and Dad threw us the most amazing themed Birthday parties when we were little.
My sister had a disco party one time and mum even made a jukebox out of a refrigerator box.
I’m not talking dodgy – it could have passed as a read juke box.
It had a cd player in it so it played music too.
She used to plan the parties for months.
My Moroccan 21st was complete with giant floor cushions covered in sequins that my grandma made.
The cake was in the shape of a Kasbah with gold leaf finishing touches made by Mum.
There was a ski field cake with little edible skiers for my winter wonderland party and a two-tied swimming pool for my pool party.
Now do you see where I get my love of themes from?
For Halloween a few years back, I wanted to go all out and make something truly gory.
At first I was going to make a brain cake.
Booring.
So then it was a brain cake filled with oozing blood to come pouring out when you cut the first slice.
But wait, what’s better than that…. what if maggots are hiding in there too?
If you’re going to have a theme you have to commit I say.
I made this just like the original piñata cake cooking half the batter at at time in a small bowl.
When the cakes were cool, I hollowed them out, filled the bottom half with jelly and maggots and a few squirts of red food colour gel
‘blood clots’ then secured the top of the brain.
Side note, someone has invented a Pinata Cake Pan which could be rather handy if you don’t have the right shaped cake tin.
I iced it with a crumb coat so the brain decoration would have something to stick to then got creative with the piping bag.
Apparently my brain had a few problems – might be why it ended up filled with jelly and maggots.
I’ll admit I had a bit too much fun photographing my brain piñata cake filled with bloody maggots.
I clapped my hands gleefully and a little evilly as it came together just as it had appeared in my head (which doesn’t happen all that often).
A bit of ‘blood’ aka red food colour gel on the knife was the finishing touch along with some ‘blood’ filled syringes.
If you don’t want to be quite as gory, you could fill it with those sour worm lollies or snakes.
Enjoy!
What about you? Do you like themed parties? Got any ideas for a first Birthday theme?
Brain piñata cake filled with bloody maggots
Ingredients
Cake
- 250g (8oz) unsalted butter
- 250g (8oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- 4 free-range eggs
- 175g (5½ oz) self-raising flour
- 75g (2½ oz) almond meal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2-3 cups icing (confectioner's) sugar
- Milk
- Red food colouring
- Red jelly (1 box)
- Fake maggots (make sure you tell people they aren't edible!!!)
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan-forced.
- Grease a pudding dish or small pyrex bowl and line the bottom (prepare two if you have two the same).
- Place the butter and sugar in the food processor and process until smooth.
- Scrape down the sides.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and blitz until mixed in.
- Slowly add the flour and almond meal then once they're mixed in add the vanilla.
- Scrape the sides down again and process for a few seconds to incorporate the scraped bits.
- Divide the batter in half and pour half into each pudding dish (or save the other half for later).
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to sit in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Clean out the tin and repeat with the rest of the batter if you're only using one tin.
Icing
- Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add the icing sugar then the 2 tablespoons of milk and beat until it is light and fluffy (add a little more milk if it is too thick - you need to be able to spread it but want it to stay in shape when you pipe it).
- Hollow out the middle of the cooled cakes and fill one half with the diced jelly, layering in the maggots.
- Pipe icing around the edge of the cake and place the 'lid' on top and press to secure.
- Ice the cake with a thin layer of icing.
- Put the rest of the icing in a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Decorate like a brain and leave to set.
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About The Author
Claire Cameron
Nutrition and Wellness Coach, mum of 3 and creator of Claire K Creations, Claire Cameron is passionate about simplifying natural living for busy families.
Through good food, natural products & simple living she'll help you achieve better health and a happier planet in a quick, easy & affordable (but not hippie!) way.
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Oh you have certainly outdone yourself this year – with a family history of all-out themed parties no wonder you love the holidays! Now all you need is some of those eyeballs rolling around on the table ;D
Haha thanks JJ! Yes I do seriously love the holidays!
This is so clever Claire, and quite a work of art. I love how creative and original you are. Clearly it runs in the family with your mother’s party skills. She could have been an event co-ordinator and made a fortune! If you ever decide to do a post of your mother’s parties, I’d love it. It would be great to see the juke box and the skis and the kasbah. Such great themes and well done on your Halloween cake xx
Charlie that’s a great idea. I might have to get her to get out the photo albums for me! Thank you! I think a few people may think differently of me after this cake. Weirdo Claire! x
I do love Halloween! I can’t believe that in a few days it will all be over for the year! *sigh* At least there will be Friday the 13th!
I know you do! Must be like Christmas to you!
I saw this on Fooderific.com and sent a message to John:
Maureen (12:54) :
there’s a recipe on fooderific for brain cake filled with bloody maggots :)
omg it’s Claire!
LOL
I had to come right over. I never did anything as outrageous as this! You are your mother’s daughter and you’d better get planning birthday #1.
I LOVE your cake. LOL
Haha I sure am! Glad you like it! Any 1st Birthday party ideas?