Trick or Halloween treat: Jack-o’-lantern surprise uses Red velvet bundt cake with cream cheese frosting

It’s Halloween — the one day of the year when cake can double as decoration. Dan Pasquali’s jack-o’-lantern bundt cake is a show-stopping centrepiece that hides a sweet surprise inside. You make the shape of the pumpkin by adding two bundt tins together.

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cooking time: 50–60 minutes

Serves: Makes one 30cm bundt

Ingredients

• 180g light olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 100g unsalted butter
• 400g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 250ml full cream milk
• 3tsp vanilla paste
• 2tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
• A few drops red food colouring
• 350g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking soda
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp baking powder

For the cream cheese frosting

• 500g unsalted butter, softened
• 1kg icing sugar
• 750g cream cheese
• 1tsp vanilla paste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (fan-forced). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. Combine the milk and vinegar in a jar and let sit for a few minutes until curdled.
3. Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then slowly add the oil while whisking.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, then the milk mixture and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
5. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Add red food colouring until you reach your desired shade.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from the tin.
8. Bake a second bundt for the top half of the pumpkin if desired.
9. For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar until creamy. Add the cream cheese and vanilla, then beat until smooth and fluffy.
10. Frost the bundt and fill your jack-o’-lantern with lollies such as Chupa Chups.

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