The Jack O’Lanterns adorn doorsteps. Cobwebs, bats and ghostly apparitions hang from the bushes and trees in front of the homes down the street. The most frightful holiday of the year has arrived! Children absolutely delight in this playful day: they’ve been plotting their disguises for weeks and can’t wait to get their hands on treats. But—we can’t forget about the grown-ups! Whether you like to create an atmosphere of scary suspense for the kids, or for yourself and friends, Halloween is a day where the mood seems to shift and magic suddenly seems possible. There’s nothing like All Hallow’s Eve when you show up to class, to a party, or maybe even the office, and voices that are so familiar to you no longer have the face that matches! Instead, there are goblins, ghouls, witches and wizards, maybe even a few fictional characters, celebrity portrayals, animals and objects. We all love dressing up, or guessing who’s who—it’s all part of everyone having a ghoulishly good time!
It may be that dressing up is not for everyone, but I think we can all agree that Halloween treats are something we are all keen on. Any holiday makes a great excuse to whip up and indulge in candy, cupcakes, cookies and all kinds of other sweets. So this Halloween, we invite you to make hauntingly delicious desserts with help from the recipe and decorating tips of baker Allison Sklar of Savoury Sweets Bakery! From decorating-pro to icing-student, her methods behind these dire-designs are far from terrifying and can easily be replicated at home. Allison’s Mom’s German Apple Cake (a take on an apfelkuchen) and Cider Donuts dauntingly decorated with fun Halloween-themed designs are an easy-to-do project that are perfect for getting you in the horrific Halloween mood!
Can’t wait to start baking? We’re dying to get our cauldrons boiling too! Allison uses one of our Sagetra Deep Mixing Bowls to help make sure our potions are spill-proof and spring-form Cake Moulds and Doughnut Moulds from the thinkkitchen Bakeware collection for making the mystical shapes. Don’t forget, you’ll need a good piping bag and the icing décor tips Allison used to get the boo-tiful cobweb designs just right! So, turn on some music to get you in the mood (Thriller, anyone?) and let Allison show you how to easily make and decorate these frightful (and delightful) Halloween treats!
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ cups flour
- About 400 g apples , peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp nutmeg
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Heavily grease 2 eight inch spring form pans and 2 mini pans. (If you’re not making minis, just use 3 eight inch pans instead!). Place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each. Set aside.
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Toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk oil with buttermilk and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda, whisking until homogenous. Slowly add flour, mixing until just incorporated.
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Place about 200 g of mixture on the bottom of each 8 inch spring form pan, and 70 g in each mini pan.
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Top with apples.
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Divide remaining batter evenly over each pan.
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Bake at 350°F for about 45-60 minutes, until center is firm and cake is golden. Cool completely and freeze for 30-40 minutes before decorating.
- 350 g butter , softened
- 500 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Food colour of your choice
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In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and continue mixing. Add sugar, slowly. Once butter, vanilla and sugar are incorporated, add the cinnamon. Return speed to medium-high and beat for about 5 to 7 minutes.
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Tip: Use offset spatula and bench scraper to achieve a smooth even finish when decorating your cake! Once the buttercream icing is on, place cake in freezer for another 30 to 40 minutes before applying the white chocolate drip. See below for recipe.
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour
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Heavily grease and flour the donut pans. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk oil with apple sauce, apple cider, and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda, whisking until homogenous. Slowly add flour, mixing until just incorporated.
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Divide mixture into donut pans, filling about ¾ of the way. Bake at 350°F for about 12 to 16 minutes, until slightly golden and set. Cool completely before removing from pans.
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Freeze for about 30 minutes before dipping in white chocolate glaze.
- 200 g pure white chocolate
- 100 g heavy cream
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Over a double boiler, heat 200 g of pure white chocolate with 100 g of heavy cream. Mix until melted.
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Use a teaspoon to drip chocolate slowly over the top of well-chilled cake. Start with a little bit at a time and add more as needed.
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To create the spider web effect, pipe thin concentric circles in a contrasting colour around the donut.
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Method 1: Use a toothpick to pull glaze out toward edges.
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Method 2: Pipe vertical lines crossing over the circles, starting from the hole and working outward.
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Garnish with festive sprinkles.
Here to help you conjure up something magical for every celebration,
Allison believes that the best way to combat nasty cravings is to eat more sweets.
A professionally trained pastry chef and a qualified art teacher, Allison combined her two passions and founded Savoury Sweets Bakery in 2014. Allison’s creations are as unique as they are delicious – never using fondant, her cakes are all decorated using fluffy buttercream frosting, accented with handmade fabric flowers and customized hand-drawn toppers. Sweet tables are one of her favourite things to cater, as she gets to show off her talent for making chewy cookies, decadent brownies & her famous pie squares. Among her many talents, Allison also specializes in a variety of vegan baked goods, so everyone at your next gathering can indulge in a little something sweet. From weddings to birthdays, big or small, Allison does it all. Check her out on Instagram, on Facebook, or on her website.