Eeeek chilled monkey brains anyone.
Well if the brains are jello and they are served with a slice of chocolate cake maybe you won't pass up this treat made famous in the movies but made slightly more appetizing in this instructable.
This would make an awesome Halloween dessert and would be an especially gruesome table centerpiece.
The preparation of this cake is best spread over 3 days:
The whole cake does take a bit of work but if you like you can omit some steps which will not only save time, but will also reduce the equipment and ingredients required making the cake a little bit more economical.
If you like you can omit the hand painting and just add some extra black fondant in the nostrils. Also the addition of the Persian fairy floss in step 8 is completely optional.
Or you can just just skip straight to step 7 and make up some brains to serve with raspberry sauce for an easy yet scrumptiously scary treat.
Monkey Brain Cake ingredients and equipment
2 chocolate cakes (mine were chocolate mud and 20cm X 8 cm or 8" X 3.25")
Cake board (approx 8") *
Ganache (chocolate and cream)
Ready rolled fondant white or Pettince 20 oz or 600 grams **
Black ready rolled fondant or Pettince 50g or 1 3/4oz (or color you own from the white using black gel food color)**
Black, white and ivory gel food color *
Tylose powder *
small brush
edible glaze, black dusting powder and large brush *
Large rolling pin
small sharp knife
small fondant rolling pin
cake decorating flower/leaf tool *
Cake smoothers (kinda optional) *
Brain mold ***
2 packs jelly - jello crystals (I used raspberry and grape)
evaporated low fat milk (carnation non fat)
Powdered gelatine
oil spray
Raspberry sauce (or strawberry)
Optional White persian fairy floss and scissors ****
*Ready Roll fondant, gel food color, cake decorating tools, tylose powder and dusting powder available from cake specialty stores, Hobby and craft stores (eg Michaels (US), Spotlight (Australia)) or Ebay.
**Fondant dries out really quickly - keep it in an airtight container or ziplock bag in between use and work fast.
*** I picked up my Jelly Mold on Ebay
****Persian fairy floss available from good deli's or specialty food purveyors
Well if the brains are jello and they are served with a slice of chocolate cake maybe you won't pass up this treat made famous in the movies but made slightly more appetizing in this instructable.
This would make an awesome Halloween dessert and would be an especially gruesome table centerpiece.
The preparation of this cake is best spread over 3 days:
Day 1 bake the cake and make the ganache
Day 2 remaining steps 1 through 7
Day 3 just prior to serving step 8
The whole cake does take a bit of work but if you like you can omit some steps which will not only save time, but will also reduce the equipment and ingredients required making the cake a little bit more economical.
If you like you can omit the hand painting and just add some extra black fondant in the nostrils. Also the addition of the Persian fairy floss in step 8 is completely optional.
Or you can just just skip straight to step 7 and make up some brains to serve with raspberry sauce for an easy yet scrumptiously scary treat.
Monkey Brain Cake ingredients and equipment
2 chocolate cakes (mine were chocolate mud and 20cm X 8 cm or 8" X 3.25")
Cake board (approx 8") *
Ganache (chocolate and cream)
Ready rolled fondant white or Pettince 20 oz or 600 grams **
Black ready rolled fondant or Pettince 50g or 1 3/4oz (or color you own from the white using black gel food color)**
Black, white and ivory gel food color *
Tylose powder *
small brush
edible glaze, black dusting powder and large brush *
Large rolling pin
small sharp knife
small fondant rolling pin
cake decorating flower/leaf tool *
Cake smoothers (kinda optional) *
Brain mold ***
2 packs jelly - jello crystals (I used raspberry and grape)
evaporated low fat milk (carnation non fat)
Powdered gelatine
oil spray
Raspberry sauce (or strawberry)
Optional White persian fairy floss and scissors ****
*Ready Roll fondant, gel food color, cake decorating tools, tylose powder and dusting powder available from cake specialty stores, Hobby and craft stores (eg Michaels (US), Spotlight (Australia)) or Ebay.
**Fondant dries out really quickly - keep it in an airtight container or ziplock bag in between use and work fast.
*** I picked up my Jelly Mold on Ebay
****Persian fairy floss available from good deli's or specialty food purveyors
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Signing UpStep 1: Stack the cake
To make ganache heat 400g cream until boiling and add to 800g finely chopped milk chocolate. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes and then whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to set at room temperature overnight.
Cut off the tops off each cake to make them even and then cut each cake in half so you have 4 even cakes.
Place one cake slice on top of a cake board and then add a good dollop of ganache and spread it around evenly. ^
Place another layer of cake on top, then more ganache, then another layer of cake.
Repeat until you have four layers of cake with a layer of ganache between each layer.
Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, place in fridge and chill until firm.
^ I placed a piece of parchment paper between the cake and the cake board so I could slip the carved cake directly onto the cake stand prior to step 4. This was purely for my presentation. Do not do this if you are serving directly from the cake board as the parchment paper makes the cake slide around.
Cut off the tops off each cake to make them even and then cut each cake in half so you have 4 even cakes.
Place one cake slice on top of a cake board and then add a good dollop of ganache and spread it around evenly. ^
Place another layer of cake on top, then more ganache, then another layer of cake.
Repeat until you have four layers of cake with a layer of ganache between each layer.
Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, place in fridge and chill until firm.
^ I placed a piece of parchment paper between the cake and the cake board so I could slip the carved cake directly onto the cake stand prior to step 4. This was purely for my presentation. Do not do this if you are serving directly from the cake board as the parchment paper makes the cake slide around.
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Thanks,
Mikey
Community Management
oh and i agree with you... the chocolate cake is a better idea than the red velvet because it makes the other colors pop out more. NICELY DONE!!!
My dear this MONKEY BRAIN CAKE is so unique and "gore"riginal that you have inspired me to actually attempted to make one! If all goes well I will be bringing it to Rob Zombies private Halloween get together later in Oct. out in Los Angeles! And I'll be sure to give you FULL credit on this Masterpiece of Monkey Macabre! Creep up the good work!
Yes the jiggly slimy jello was awesome. Plus we had some gluten intolerant guests and I just made extra brains with raspberry sauce for them as they could not eat cake.
Thanks for your lovely comments.