Drop of Disney

Happy Friday! We’re getting closer to Halloween and the spooky bakes continue with this Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake! Similar to the ghoulish treat at Disneyland, this three tiered white cake, inspired by Constance Hathaway, is filled with cherry filling and decorated with cream cheese icing and cherry blood speckles.

This frighteningly good cake is inspired by the Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake served at the French Market in Disneyland. The cake itself is inspired by Constance Hathaway, The Black Widow Bride, who currently resides in the attic of The Haunted Mansion. While her past is a bit of a mystery, it does involve a hatchet and a murderous streak. Therefore, her white wedding cake is fittingly covered with blood speckles and drips. While this cake may seem a bit creepy, it’s moist cake, sweet cherry filling, and tangy cream cheese frosting make for a delicious combination!

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To make the cake, first grease three 6-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. If you don’t have 6-inch cake pans, you could also use two 8 or 9 inch cake pans. It’ll only be a two layer cake, but it’ll be just as good!

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and beat until combined. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Finally, add the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 1-1 ½ minutes. 

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and use an offset spatula to smooth the tops of the batter. Bake the cakes for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, make the cherry filling and the cream cheese frosting. For the cherry filling, I used a can of dark sweet cherry pie filling since I prefer a sweeter cherry flavor. If you prefer a more tart or sour cherry flavor, just swap the sweet cherry can out for a can of tart cherry pie filling. It’ll also make the “blood” specks a bright red.

To make the cherry filling, combine the sugar and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add 6 tablespoons of syrup and stir until combined. Make sure to reserve the remaining cherry syrup for decorating the cake. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture bubbles. Cook for one minute. Add the cherries and butter, stirring until combined. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Then, beat on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to decorate. If your frosting starts to feel soft, place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 mins. 

Next, prepare the cakes for assembly. Use a serrated knife to trim the top of each cake so that all of the tops are level. Place one of the cakes, cut side up, onto a 6-inch cake board. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Place a couple large scoops of cherry filling onto the top of the frosting layer. Spread with a spoon or offset spatula.

Then, place the second cake, cut side up, on top of the first cake layer. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Place a couple large scoops of cherry filling onto the top of the frosting layer. Spread with a spoon or offset spatula.

Finally, place the third cake, cut side down, on top of the second cake layer. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Pipe lines of frosting around the sides of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Place the cakes into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. 

Once chilled, remove the cake from the refrigerator and place on a cake turntable, overturned bowl, or plate. Place a couple large scoops of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting across the top and down the sides of the cake. 

Use the offset spatula to spread and smooth the frosting around the cake, adding more as needed. Place some of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 8 stars on the top of the cake. To add the cherry blood splatter, dip a pastry brush in the cherry syrup and sprinkle it across the cake sides and top to make a bloodstain pattern. 

Enjoy this ghoulish Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake! Happy almost Halloween!

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Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake

Inspired by the ghoulish treat at Disneyland, this frighteningly good Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake has a white cake base with cherry filling and cream cheese frosting!

Course Dessert

Keyword Halloween, Haunted Mansion

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

White Cake

• 2 ¼ cups cake flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cherry Filling

• 1 15 oz can cherry pie filling
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons cherry syrup (from the pie filling can)
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Decoration

• cherry syrup (from the pie filling can)

Equipment

• off-set spatula
• piping bag
• large star tip (Wilton 1M)
• 1 6-inch cake board
• 3 6-inch round cake pans
• pastry brush

Instructions

White Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and beat until combined.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
4. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 1-1 ½ minutes.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Use an offset spatula to smooth the tops of the batter.
6. Bake the cakes for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry Filling

1. Combine the sugar and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add the 6 tablespoons of syrup and stir until combined. Reserve the remaining cherry syrup for decoration.
2. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture bubbles. Cook for one minute.
3. Add the cherries and butter, stirring until combined. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat the cream cheese and the butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Then, beat on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Set aside until ready to decorate. If your frosting starts to feel soft, place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 mins.

Cake Assembly

1. If desired, wrap your cake board in aluminium foil. Place on top of a cake decorating turntable, overturned bowl or plate.
2. Use a serrated knife to trim the top of each cake so that all of the tops are level.
3. Place one of the cakes, cut side up, on the cake board. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
4. Place a couple large scoops of cherry filling onto the top of the frosting layer. Spread with a spoon or offset spatula.
5. Place the second cake, cut side up, on top of the first cake layer. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
6. Place a couple large scoops of cherry filling onto the top of the frosting layer. Spread with a spoon or offset spatula.
7. Place the third cake, cut side down, on top of the second cake layer. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
8. Pipe lines of frosting around the sides of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
9. Place the cakes into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place on a cake turntable, overturned bowl, or plate.
11. Place a couple large scoops of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting across the top and down the sides of the cake.
12. Use the offset spatula to spread and smooth the frosting around the cake, adding more as needed.
13. Place some of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 8 stars on the top of the cake.
14. Dip a pastry brush in the cherry syrup and sprinkle it across the cake sides and top to make a bloodstain pattern.