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Lava Cake (The Ultimate Halloween Cake!)

A hand using a large knife to cut the first slice of the spooky Eyeball Lava Cake, with the "bloody" red lava gushing out, at a fun Halloween party.

A festive and gory ‘Eyeball Lava Cake,’ perfect for a show-stopping Halloween dessert. This recipe uses a white cake mix baked in a Bundt pan as a convenient base. The center hole of the cake is filled with raspberry jam to create a ‘bloody lava’ effect when sliced. The entire cake is then covered in a homemade, from-scratch marshmallow frosting. The ‘eyeball’ decoration is creatively made from a flattened circle of blue taffy with a black gummy candy pupil, and the cake is finished with ‘bloodshot’ lines drawn on with red decorating gel.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake and Filling:
  • One 15.25-ounce box white cake mix (plus required ingredients like oil and eggs)
  • Two 13-ounce jars raspberry jam
  • For the Frosting:
  • Two 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • For the Decoration:
  • 4 blue flat taffy candy strips
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 black gummy candies
  • One .67-ounce tube red decorating gel

Instructions

  1. Make the Cake: Prepare and bake the white cake mix in a 10-cup Bundt pan according to the package directions. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a large serving platter.
  2. Microwave the raspberry jam for about 2 minutes until it is pourable. If it has seeds, strain it. Pour enough of the jam into the center hole of the Bundt cake to fill it to the top. Reserve the remaining jam.
  3. Make the Eyeball Decoration: Microwave the blue taffy for about 10 seconds until pliable. Roll it out between two pieces of sprayed parchment paper into a thin, 5-inch circle. Warm the black gummies, roll them into a marble-sized piece, place it in the middle of the blue taffy, and roll it out to create a pupil.
  4. Make the Marshmallow Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the gelatin and 1/3 cup of cold water.
  5. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 2/3 cup of water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer.
  6. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase the speed to high and beat for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and holds soft peaks. Beat in the vanilla.
  7. Decorate the Cake: While the frosting is still warm, spread it all over the Bundt cake. Let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to cool and set.
  8. Place the blue taffy ‘iris’ centered on top of the cake. Use the red decorating gel to draw ‘bloodshot’ lines on the white frosting. Serve with the reserved jam on the side.

Notes

  • Special Equipment: The recipe requires a 10-cup Bundt pan, a 5-inch biscuit cutter, and a candy thermometer.
  • This is a multi-component decorating project that uses several shortcuts, like a boxed cake mix, to focus on the creative, spooky elements.
  • Making the marshmallow frosting involves cooking a sugar syrup to a specific temperature, so a candy thermometer is essential for success.
  • The ‘lava’ effect is created by the jam filling pouring out as the cake is sliced.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/lava-cake/