Vampire Poke Cake – Scary-Good Halloween Recipe
This soft, creamy almond buttermilk cake is laced with a tangy cherry sauce (“blood”) and topped with light, fluffy whipped cream for a treat that’s both delicious and terrifying.
YIELDS: 15 – 18 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
Cherry Sauce
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
- 1/2 c. (100 g.) granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. water
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Cake
- Cooking spray
- 3 c. (360 g.) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 c. (200 g.) granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 3/4 c. buttermilk, room temperature, divided
Topping
- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
Cherry Sauce
- Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, water, cornstarch, and salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to a low simmer and cook, mashing occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until cherries are broken down and mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender (or regular blender).
- Make Ahead: Cherry sauce can be made up to a day ahead of time. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two long sides.
- In a large mixing basin, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat granulated sugar and butter on medium-high speed in the big bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in another large bowl with an electric mixer) until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition, then add the almond extract and beat until incorporated (the mixture may appear curdled).
- To the egg mixture, add one-third of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed until barely incorporated, then repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until it is risen and firm to the touch. While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over it with the handle of a wooden spoon, spacing them about 1″ apart and producing a grid of roughly 12-by-8 holes.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the cherry sauce for serving. Fill holes with remaining cherry sauce using a tiny spoon or a piping bag. (After a few minutes, the sauce may seep into the cake, leaving room for more sauce; continue to fill gaps as much as possible.)
- Allow to cool completely before covering and refrigerating overnight.
Topping
- Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl on high speed until medium peaks form. Remove the cold cake from the pan using the parchment overhang.
- Spread whipped cream on top of the cake. Poke holes in the whipped cream with a wooden spoon to simulate fangs, then fill with the reserved cherry sauce. As desired, splatter the leftover cake topping with the remaining cherry sauce.
