Cake Eyeballs Recipes

EYEBALL CAKE BALLS

Steps:

• Crumble up the cake or scraps into fine crumbs in a large bowl. Add in the buttercream and mix until completely combined and the mixture can hold a shape if formed into a ball. If the cake is still crumbly, add more buttercream. With an ice cream scoop, scoop the cake mash and flatten out the top of the scoop. Press your thumb in the center to make a hole and fill the hole with jam.
• Place a small amount of the cake mash on top of the jam to prevent spillage and seal up the ball. Remove the cake ball from the scoop and round it in your hands until smooth. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 3 to 5 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate coating over a double boiler or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Add oil if too thick.
• Once the cake balls are chilled and the chocolate coating is melted, drop your cake balls into the chocolate and fish them out with a fork. Place on a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set the cake balls aside to set up.
• Meanwhile, roll out your modeling chocolate to create eyelids, iris and pupils and arrange on the cake balls. Cake balls can be held at room temperature.

EYEBALL LAVA CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake the cake in a 10-cup Bundt pan according to the package directions. Let cool completely, then transfer to a large serving platter.
• Microwave the jam until pourable, about 2 minutes. If there are seeds, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Pour enough jam into the hole of the cake to fill it to the top. Reserve the remaining jam.
• Microwave the taffy until soft and pliable, about 10 seconds. Put the taffy in between two 8-inch-long pieces of parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Roll it out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle using a rolling pin, then cut it with a 5-inch biscuit cutter. Warm the black gummies and roll into a marble-sized piece. Place in the middle of the blue taffy circle and roll out to create a pupil.
• Stir together the gelatin and 1/3 cup cold water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (If any granules of sugar stick to the side of the pan, brush them back into the sugar-water mixture with a wet pastry brush.) Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin. Once all the syrup is added, increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is very thick and holds soft peaks, about 15 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
• Coat a rubber spatula with cooking spray and while still warm, spread the marshmallow frosting all over the bundt cake. Let sit at room temperature until the frosting is completely cool and set, about 1 hour.
• Place the blue taffy piece centered on top of the cake. Use the red decorating gel to draw bloodshot lines on the outside of the cake. Serve with a butcher's cleaver.

CAKE EYEBALLS

Steps:

• Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions for a 9-by-13-inch cake or two 9-inch cakes. Allow to cool slightly in the pan, then remove to a rack, cover with a dish towel and let cool completely.
• Break off sections of the cake and crumble in a large bowl. When finished, you should have a bunch of very fine cake crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, work the frosting into the cake until it is no longer visible. (Even if you use white frosting with red velvet cake, the white will eventually blend in entirely.)
• Next, roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (a small ice cream scoop helps with this) and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This is important: Pop 'em in the freezer, uncovered, for at least an hour. The cake balls need to be very firm before coating them.
• When the cake balls are nice and firm, place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Don't let the bowl touch the water.) Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan. Add the cake balls one at a time to the melted white chocolate and gently roll to coat. Using a fork, lift out the cake balls, then tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. With a toothpick, push the ball off of the fork and back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Let set at room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. Decorate with gel icing to look like eyeballs.

EYEBALL CAKE POPS

Steps:

• For the cake pops: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the cake crumbs and frosting in a large bowl. Work the frosting into the crumbs with your hands until it forms a thick paste and can be easily rolled into balls.
• Roll the mixture into 12 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until almost solid, 20 to 30 minutes.
• For the decoration: When ready to decorate, melt the white chocolate discs in a double boiler and keep warm. Melt the red and black chocolate discs in small bowls in the microwave. Remove the cake pop balls from the freezer and insert a plastic or metal fork into each. Dip the tines of another fork into the red chocolate and wave over the bowl of white chocolate to make flecks and drizzles. Insert cake pops into the white chocolate and swirl to coat completely. Let any excess drip off, then place a green chocolate disc in the center to form the iris of the eye. Set down on the prepared baking sheet and allow to set while you repeat with the remaining cake balls. Dip the back of a skewer into the black chocolate and make a large dot in the center of the green on each pop. Clean the skewer, dip into the white and make a small dot to the side of the black. Allow to set completely at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and salt, and whip on low speed until incorporated. Turn the speed up to high and whip until the buttercream is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. If it's too wet, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it's too stiff, add a bit more butter.
• Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip cold buttercream before using it.

EYEBALL CAKE

Steps:

• For the pupil and iris: Spray a 3-quart mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the blue gelatin with the boiling water in a small bowl and mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour 1/4 cup of the gelatin into a second bowl and mix in the black food coloring. Set the remaining blue gelatin aside. Pour the black gelatin into the prepared bowl.
• Place in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes. Use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to cut the gelatin into a circle and carefully remove the excess gelatin from around the outside of the cutter to leave a "pupil" in the bottom of the bowl. Discard the excess gelatin.
• Pour 1/4 cup blue gelatin into the bowl over the black pupil (if the blue gelatin has set before pouring, pop it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to loosen it). You will have some excess blue gelatin. Place the bowl back in the refrigerator to set another 30 minutes.
• For the eyeball and crust: Combine the cheesecake mixes and milk in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until thick but still pourable, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the bowl over the pupil and iris. Gently drop the bowl on your counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place in the refrigerator and let set for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, mix together the melted butter and red gel food coloring and whisk to ensure that the food coloring is completely blended into the butter. Combine the sugar, red melted butter and 2 bags of the crushed graham crackers that came with the no-bake cheesecake mix in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until the graham cracker crumbs are colored red, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the eyeball from the refrigerator and press the crust on top. Place the entire eyeball cake back in the refrigerator to let the crust harden, about 1 hour.
• To plate and garnish: Place a large round plate or platter over the bowl with the eyeball cake. Flip the bowl over so the bowl is on top of the plate. Gently tap the bowl and plate on the counter to help release the eyeball. Gently remove the bowl to reveal the eyeball cake (if the cake does not release from the bowl, dip the bowl in warm water to help it loosen).
• Use the red writing gel to make branching lines around the eye to resemble the veins of a bloodshot eye. Spoon the cherry pie filling around the entire base of the eyeball (you may not use the whole can).