Coffin Cakes Recipes

HALLOWEEN COFFIN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Prepare and bake both pound cake mixes together in one pan as directed on package for 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. (After baking cake, leave oven on to bake cookie "lid"). Cool cake 10 minutes on wire rack; invert cake onto wire rack and remove pan. Cool completely.
• With clean hands or wooded spoon, stir together cookie dough and flour until well combined. On lightly greased cookie sheet, roll out cookie dough to 12x8-inch rectangle. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. With large spatula, carefully remove cookie to wire rack. Cool completely.
• Place cake on large tray. With knife, mark 1-inch from each edge of cake. With fork, scoop out center of cake to within 1-inch from sides and bottom. Unwrap cookies and creme bars. Line inside of "coffin" with bar pieces. Place frosting in bowl. Stir in cocoa until well blended. Frost entire outside of coffin and top of cookie lid. Fill center of coffin with assorted wrapped candies. Unwrap some candies and decorate lid. Prop up one side of lid with wooded skewer or popsicle sticks wrapped with Pull-n-Peel candy
• CANDY CRITTERS Create "spooktacular" critter by using products such as nuggets candy, peppermint patties miniatures, chocolate drops, peanut butter cups as bodies. Then add licorice candy legs, candy whiskers, and candy and chocolate covered peanut butter candy eyes.

COFFIN CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan. Make and bake brownie mix as directed on box for cakelike brownies, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Freeze 10 minutes.
• Use foil to lift brownies out of pan and invert onto work surface. With 5x2 1/2-inch coffin-shaped cookie cutter, cut 8 coffins from brownies. (Rotate cookie cutter top to bottom and then bottom to top, making cutouts as close together as possible.) Cut each coffin in half horizontally with serrated knife. For each coffin, spread about 2 tablespoons frosting on bottom half of brownie. Arrange 8 bone sprinkles and 1 candy skull on frosting to look like skeleton inside coffin. Outline top of each coffin with white icing. Pipe RIP in center with icing. Place coffin tops, cut sides down and slightly off center, on coffin bottoms.
• Sprinkle cookie crumbs on serving platter to look like dirt. Place coffins on crumbs. Serve or refrigerate.

ALMOND BROWNIE COFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan, and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out excess.
• Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sift cocoa powder on top of butter, and whisk to combine. Let cool 3 minutes. Gently whisk in vanilla and eggs, then stir in sugars and flour mixture until just combined. Fold in almonds, then spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake until the top is firm and set, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan using parchment overhang, and let cool on wire rack. (Brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
• Using the large coffin template, cut out brownies. Dust marzipan lightly with cocoa powder, and mix until marbled dark brown. Roll out marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness. Using the small coffin template, cut out 1 marzipan coffin for each brownie. Gently press a coffin on top of each brownie.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with the smallest plain round tip with royal icing. Decorate marzipan with small dots around the edges, and apply 1 fleur-de-lis to each coffin with a small offset spatula, securing each with a dot of royal icing.