Those of you with entomophobia (fear of insects) may want to look away now. When I heard that the first Derby Clandestine Cake Club theme would be Trick or Treat I knew that last year’s Black Beetle Cakes would have to make a reappearance but in a slightly different form. The Clandestine Cake Club (CCC) has strict rules: no brownies, muffins, cookies pies or tarts and don’t even think of darkening the door with cupcakes. We’re talking big cakes that can serve 8-12 people. Derby’s first CCC was hosted by A Wannabe Foodie.
I decided the slightly macabre cake would be made from simple chocolate sponge (a variation on my Victoria sponge) that had been brushed with sloe gin, filled with cherries & cream then topped with edible dirt and beetles. This cake may look wrong, but I still wanted it to taste good.
I had forgotten that one of my pupils had borrowed on of my matching cake tins on Thursday so had to do some crafty cake trimming on the top layer so both layers would be the same diameter. I kind of like that the cake is unintentionally slightly wonky as it gives it the slightly decomposing look to it. Something that Miss Havisham would have in her dining room.
I think it’s fair to say this is one of my favourite cakes I’ve ever made. A perfect way to embrace my artistic yet science geek side. You can take the girl out of biology, but you can’t take the biology geek out of the girl. One of the guests suggested putting something in the bugs to give them a crunch. Oh, we are very much going to do this next time we make the cake. Hubs is working out how we can make them not only crunch but also ooze. I also intended on the cake featuring slugs, but I’m still working on how to make an authentic looking edible slime trail. I really enjoyed this afternoon and a big thanks to Julia for hosting. it. Because of this afternoon I now know what cake sweats/shakes feel like.
Beetle Forest Gateau
Serves 8-12
For the cake
The key to this chocolate sponge is to weigh the eggs, in their shells, at the beginning. You will then need the equal weight of sugar, butter and total weight of flour & cocoa. So if your eggs weigh 250g you’ll need 250g sugar etc.
4 large eggs
caster sugar
butter, softened
self-raising flour (you need 80% weight of eggs. In other words for each 100g of eggs you need 80g of flour. To work this out = weight of eggs x 0.8)
cocoa (you need 20% weight of eggs. To work this out = weight of eggs x 0.2)
1 tsp vanilla extract
filling
200ml double cream
Tin (425g) pitted cherries
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp of kirche or in our case sloe gin
topping
75g (½ packet) of Oreos or similar biscuits
200g icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
fondant icing or marzipan coloured black (personally I find marzipan easier to work with)
edible lustre dust (I used antique gold and snowflake)
1) Line the bottom of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Pre heat oven to 180°c.
2) Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy then beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Before adding the fourth egg add a spoonful of the flour into the mix to help stop the mixture curdling.
3) Stir in the vanilla extract then fold in the flour and cocoa. It needs to be of dropping consistency (in other words it drops off the spoon easily). If not, add a small amount of milk to help loosen the batter.
4) Share the cake batter between the two tins then bake for around 30 minutes until the cakes are risen and a skewer comes of out the cake clean.
5) Allow the cake for rest for a few minutes before turning it out of the tin and removing the baking paper. Allow to cool on a wire rack before filling.
6) While the cakes are cooling make the beetles. First knead black food colouring into the marzipan/icing until evenly coloured. Pinch off a Malteser sized piece of marzipan and roll into a rugby ball shape. Place on a piece of clingfilm and gently press to flatten. Shape into a beetle shape. Mark the head and wings using the edge of a teaspoon. Add additional detail with a knife and cocktail stick. Brush lightly with lustre dust. Roll eight mini sausages out of the marzipan about 1.5 cm long. Attach two of the legs near the head and two near the mouth (for the mandibles) then the other four to the rear. Leave on the clingfilm to dry for few hours.
7) In a small saucepan heat the cherries, with the juice from the can along with the sugar and cornflour mixed with a small amount of water. Bring to the boil until mixture has thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp of kirche. Leave to cool.
8) To make the edible dirt blitz the oreos in a blender. Don’t worry about removing the cream. Set to one side while you begin to construct the cake.
9) Place the bottom layer of the cake on a plate and brush with the remaining kirsch. Spread on the cherry mix then whip the double cream and spread on top of the cherries. Place the second layer of the cake on top of the cream.
10) In a bowl mix together the icing sugar and remaining cocoa. Add boiling water a tbsp at a time until it is pouring consistency. Pour the icing over the cake and guide it with a spoon until the top of the cake is covered. Allow the icing to drip down the sides of the cake.
11) Sprinkle the edible dirt onto the icing until well covered. If need be lightly press down on the dirt to help it stick. Place the beetles on the cake using a small amount of icing.
12 comments
11 pings
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Christine
October 24, 2011 at 9:02 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Jules I love this! Really want to make it :)
Lynn - The Secret Tea Room
October 24, 2011 at 9:08 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Great looking cake. So glad you enjoyed Clandestine Cake Club. Next time you make the cake, do a video of the Beetles crawling over it and post it on You tube :-)
Lynn (CCC)
@nicolareadcouk
October 24, 2011 at 6:57 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Happily this only looks like authentic dirt and bugs! It tasted wonderful. Phew!!
Kate Buckley
October 24, 2011 at 7:41 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Love this recipe and your beetle cupcakes. I love that you have made the inedible edible
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
October 24, 2011 at 9:27 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Yikes! My mum would freak if she saw this!! I think I’d have to pick the bugs off before I took a bite!
Jules
October 24, 2011 at 9:35 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Sarah, you wouldn’t be alone! I know some people at CCC couldn’t eat the bugs.
purelyfood
October 25, 2011 at 6:56 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Looks fantastic. You are very talented! I’m useless at cake decorating.
Domestic Executive (@domesticexec)
October 25, 2011 at 7:41 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
That is beautiful and gross in equal measure. Fantastically baked and decorated!
Cle
October 26, 2011 at 1:20 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
truly horrific!!!!
GREAT!
Laura Scott
October 26, 2011 at 5:02 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
If I was going to make something for Halloween then this cake would be it- inspired!
meemalee
October 27, 2011 at 2:24 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
You *made* the beetles? Awesome!
Jules
October 27, 2011 at 2:39 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I sure did make them by hand. No moulds used here.
A Halloween recipe roundup, and win a hamper of baking goodies from Dr Oetker - ENGLISH MUM
October 24, 2011 at 4:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] Jules’ amazing beetle cupcakes, plus her new beetle forest gateau [...]
TipsTuesday: Guide to Halloween treats! « THE ECOHAWKS
October 25, 2011 at 2:05 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] Beetle Forest Gateau [...]
Shiny Disco Balls (aka Rum Truffles) « Butcher, Baker
October 26, 2011 at 8:23 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] Butcher, Baker cakes, bakes and geekiness HomeAboutAs Seen On…Recipe index Twitter Facebook RSS Feed ← Beetle Forest Gateau [...]
Shiny Disco Balls (aka Rum Truffles) | Thrifty Christmas
November 3, 2011 at 12:46 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. If you do want to make this dodgy Halloween treat follow the beetle making instructions here. Alternatively with couple of sugar pearls, each adorned with a black dot along with 8 [...]
2011 highlights « Butcher, Baker
January 2, 2012 at 5:54 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] Taking part in my first Clandestine Cake Club with my Beetle Forest Gateaux. [...]
Shiny Disco Balls (aka Rum Truffles) » Butcher, Baker
February 16, 2012 at 8:23 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] « Beetle Forest Gateau [...]
The Clandestine Cake Club Revolution » Butcher, Baker
February 22, 2012 at 10:19 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] events are usually themed. For the first Derby CCC at Halloween I made my Beetle Forest Gateaux and this time a Chocolate Heartache Cake for the freaky ingredient theme as it contains aubergine. [...]
Cupcakes of glitter and grime » Butcher, Baker
March 12, 2012 at 5:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] of butterflies. Oh no, this is the woman who has no qualms about serving up a macabre but delicious chocolate sponge covered in edible dirt and beetles. Think an edible way of expressing your creative [...]
Damien Hirst Battenberg » Butcher, Baker
June 7, 2012 at 6:03 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] can take cake themes literally. Back in November when the theme was ‘Trick or Treat’ my Beetle Forest Gateaux certainly did the job. Next week I’ve been invited to an event where I’m taking a cake [...]
Glühwein Bundt » Butcher, Baker
October 22, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] to go a German cake. First cake to come to mind was a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, but this is too much like the cake I made for the first Derby CCC meeting so back to the drawing [...]
Giveaway: Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook » Butcher, Baker
February 5, 2013 at 6:17 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] recipe for the Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook and I’m really pleased to see a variation of my Beetle Forest Gateau made it in to the book. I’ve now attended over 5 CCC meetings in Derby and Loughborough [...]