Ouija Board Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Cake Decorating time: 2 hours plus drying time
Feeds: 20 people
- 5 cups cake flour
- 5 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 5 teaspoons bicarb of soda
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 2x350ml/12.4flozs. tins root beer or cola
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 2/3 cups oil (a flavourless one like rice bran or grapeseed)
- 10 tablespoons vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 350g/12.4ozs. dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped
Chocolate Buttercream
- 300g/10.6ozs. butter, softened
- 9 cups icing or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Water if needed
To decorate:
- An edible transfer A3 size of a ouija board (if you don't have time to wait for postage, you can always pipe this in royal icing or draw it on fondant with edible paint)
- Royal icing in black
- 600g/21.2ozs. black fondant (I used white but black is easier)
- cornflour/fine cornstarch
- Edible gold lustre dust mixed with a teaspoon of vodka
For planchette
- 1 enormous shortbread cookie
- 50g/1.7ozs. yellow/brown gum paste
- White edible paint
For letters
- Small quantity black gum paste
- 4 x 200mm gauge wires
The cakes are best made a day ahead so they firm up and are less delicate.
Step 1 - Grease and line two 45x30cms tins on the base and sides. Preheat oven to 180C/350F and have two racks in the oven ready for the cakes. In a very large bowl, whisk the cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarb and salt until well combined. In a jug whisk the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Make a well in the flour and add in the root beer and oil mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the choc chips and divide among the two tins (making sure that the choc chips don't all end up in one cake). This is a very liquid mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until the centre bounces back when pressed gently. Cool completely, preferably overnight.
Step 2 - Make the letters as they will need to dry completely. Knead the gum paste and cut out the letters using the letter cutters. While it is still soft, gently insert the wires into the letters and allow to set overnight. Gum paste does set quickly but it was very damp with rain when I did this and they took a couple of days to set completely (sooo frustrating!). I had some issues with the M from M setting so I just made the message "HELP". Tip: make two sets if you have time in case one doesn't set properly.
Step 3 - Make the buttercream. Beat the butter until pale and fluffy and then on low speed add the cocoa, icing sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Increase speed and beat until fluffy.
Step 4 - When cakes are cooled, carefully run a knife around the edge to release them. I find it helps enormously to put the cakes in the freezer and that way they won't fall apart. Remove the parchment. Place one cake layer back in the tin or on a cake board and pipe the buttercream on top and then sandwich with the other cake layer.
Step 5 - Sprinkle cornflour over a large clean surface and roll out the fondant to fit the top of the cake. Gently lay it on top of the cake and trim off any excess. This is the best surface for the edible transfer (buttercream is too wet). Take the transfer sheet by diagonal corners and gently run it against the edge of the table. The corner should come off and then you can carefully place it on top of the fondant. Once you have placed it correctly you can brush a little water on the fondant to adhere it into place. Smooth out any air bubbles.
Step 6 - Take the royal icing and place in a small parchment bag. Pipe swirls and patterns around the edge of the cake. Allow to set completely. Then take the gold paint and carefully paint over the swirls in gold.
Step 7 - Make the planchette. I took an enormous shortbread cookie and trimmed it to the shape with a paring knife. I then covered it with tinted gum paste and then drew a pattern over it. You can do this with a graham cracker too.