Tarta de Halloween con fantasmas

Directions

1. Weigh all ingredients on a scale. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease three 15cm cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottom of each with a parchment circle. Set aside.
2. In one bowl, combine sugar, softened butter, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together the pastry flour and baking powder.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula or mixer, being careful not to overbeat, until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter among the three pans.
4. Place pans in the oven and bake on the lower third rack for about 25-30 minutes. Check with a skewer for doneness at the center, then remove.
5. Unmold, remove parchment, and let cool completely. It's recommended to wrap the cooled cakes in plastic and let rest overnight for them to firm up.
6. Weigh all ingredients for the frosting. Ensure butter is at room temperature (or cut into pieces and microwave in 2-second bursts, watching carefully not to melt). Sift the powdered sugar and set aside.
7. Place all frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat until fluffy and pale, preferably with a mixer using the paddle attachment. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all butter is incorporated.
8. After 8-10 minutes of beating at medium-high speed, the buttercream will be ready. If it's not creamy enough, add room temperature milk while beating on low until desired consistency. Tint the cream with pink food coloring but don't fully mix to leave some streaks.
9. Put the white candy melts in a bowl, add cocoa butter, and melt using a double boiler or microwave carefully.
10. Pick out large black sprinkles from the Halloween mix and cut them in half with a sharp knife to create ghost mouths. Alternatively, use melted dark chocolate.
11. Drop a teaspoonful of melted mixture per ghost onto parchment or a silicone mat. Use a silicone brush to drag the mixture into a ghost shape.
12. Before it sets, place the mouths using kitchen tweezers and add the small sugar eyes (or draw with dark chocolate). Let solidify in the fridge.
13. Place a cardboard cake base on a turntable (if not using a non-slip one, add a dab of frosting to secure the base). Add another dab of frosting on top of the base.
14. Level the cake layers if needed by slicing off a thin layer with a knife or cake leveler. Place the first cake layer centered on the base.
15. Using a measuring cup or ice cream scoop, add three dollops of buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula while turning the turntable. Place the second layer on top, level by hand, and repeat with same amount of buttercream.
16. Repeat with the third layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the top and sides, using a bench scraper to remove excess. Refrigerate to firm up.
17. Remove cake from fridge and apply the final coat of buttercream, smoothing with the scraper on the turntable and finishing the top with an offset spatula. Return to fridge while preparing decorations.
18. Take ghosts from fridge and peel off parchment. If needed, reheat leftover candy melts, dab a bit on the back of each ghost, and attach them to the cake.
19. Pick out skulls, bones, and black sprinkles from the Halloween mix and press them onto the cake. Return cake to fridge until serving.