Ahead of the long-awaited release of Wednesday’s season two, I have created a deliciously spooky cake jar recipe in honour of the Addams family’s most precocious member. My Wednesday watch party cake jars celebrate various elements of this kooky Netflix series, including the more colourful characters. They’re the perfect treat for a watch party or Wednesday themed birthday party! Need a helping hand? Da da da da dum… *click click*.
Contents
The Bake
The first season of Wednesday was released just before I launched Flavour of the Film. The timing of it meant that I felt inspired by the show’s fresh take on everyone’s favourite fictional kooky family.
My Wednesday inspired brownie slab is the result of that inspiration. It blows my mind that that recipe is over two years old now. It still makes a delicious dessert, though.
However, if rich brownies aren’t your thing, allow me to give you an alternative in the form of light chocolate sponge layered with airy cream and surprise goodies, all tucked neatly into a jar.
My Wednesday watch party cake jars are fun to make and even more fun to eat.
Why put this dessert into a jar? Besides the genuine joy of layering food into a jar and the satisfaction that you get spooning it out to eat it, I chose cake jars in particular because of the jars we see in the first season of Wednesday.
The only difference being that my Wednesday watch party cake jars have no traces whatsoever of body parts in them. Only delicious (ethical) numnums.
That doesn’t mean you can’t put chocolate skulls or candy body parts – like teeth and lips – in your cake jars if you can find them. They certainly hit the brief.
The chocolate cake in my Wednesday cake jars is actually a chocolate Swiss roll sponge.
Not only is this sponge delicious and a festive tradition for me (the first season of Wednesday came out in time for Christmas after all), it’s easy to make. A simple one layer sheet of cake adapted from Prue Leith’s chocolate log recipe.
All you need to do after baking the sheet of cake is to cut circles out of it using a round cookie cutter to create lovely jar-sized layers of cake. No rolling this time, friends.
Although some heads may roll in this new season… we shall see.
I opted for chocolate cake specifically because it’s dark and rich and, along with the fresh cream, fits her signature colour combo. See my Top Tips section below for an alternative if chocolate isn’t your favourite.
The cake is then layered with sweetened freshly whipped cream, melted chocolate, and lots of spooky goodies.
We’re aiming for a light dessert here, friends.
When it comes to the spooky goodies, you can either top your Wednesday watch party cake jars with them, or hide them in between the layers for a lovely surprise. Or both!
I definitely opted for both, using a mix of chocolates for a Wednesday vibe, as well as colourful candies like Smarties for Enid’s vibe. Jelly babies were also included as toppings in my Wednesday watch party cake jars to add a little more creepy essence.
Friends, just have fun with these spooky cake jars. Fun is what it’s all about, after all.
Top Tips
- You’ll need a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin to bake your sponge on.
- There are no raising agents in the cake, so be sure to be gentle with your ingredients once you’ve whisked air into the eggs. The air in the eggs is the only lift your cake gets, so be mindful not to knock it all out!
- If chocolate cake isn’t your vibe and you prefer to make the sponge plain, simply leave out the cocoa powder and add 100g plain [all purpose] flour instead.
- If you are making these Wednesday watch party cake jars when Halloween is approaching, keep a lookout for Halloween themed candies and chocolates that you can add to your cake jars!
- If you don’t have jars on hand, you can use drinking glasses, sundae glasses, or even ramekins for a one layer treat. I used ramekins for my leftover sponge pieces!
- These cake jars should be kept in the fridge (unless being enjoyed) due to the fresh cream element. If you don’t have the lids for your jars (or they don’t fit on with your toppings), simply cover with aluminium foil/beeswax paper and secure with a rubber band or elastic band, or place them in a deep airtight container that will fit in your fridge.
My Wednesday watch party cake jars really are the perfect treat to sustain you for as many episodes of Wednesday as you need them to. Enjoy them on your own or with loved ones – they keep in the fridge for a good few days! They’re a great way to reuse jars that have previously had other food stuff in them. Enjoy!
The YouTube Video
The Recipe
Ingredients
Wednesday watch party cake jars:
- 4 large eggs
- 60g [¼ cup + 1 tbsp] caster sugar
- 40g [3 tbsp] light brown sugar
- 60g [¼ cup + 2 tbsp] plain [all purpose] flour
- 40g [¼ cup + 2 tbsp] cocoa powder
- A pinch of sea or rock salt
Fillings & toppings:
- 100g [3.5 oz] chocolate of your choice i.e. milk melted
- 400ml [1½ cups + 3 tbsp] double [whipping] cream
- 1 tbsp icing [confectioners sugar]
- Smarties
- Chocolate buttons
- Chocolate chips
- Candy eyes
- Jelly babies
- Halloween candy pieces i.e. gummy spiders
Serves: 4+
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 10 – 12 minutes
Decorating time: 20 minutes
Method
Wednesday watch party cake jars sponge:
- Preheat your oven to 190°C [375°F] or 170°C fan. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll cake tin with a sheet of baking parchment/greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and both sugars and whisk on a medium – high speed using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or electric hand whisk. Do this for around 3 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and is pale in colour. The mixture should leave a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk (it continuously falls from the whisk for a few seconds).
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold everything together using a metal spoon. Do this carefully so as not to knock any air out. The mixture will be ready when there are no flour or cocoa powder streaks left. Be sure to scrape any build up off the spoon and gently work it back into the mixture!
- Pour the mixture onto the lined tray. Using an offset palette knife or ordinary cutlery knife, gently spread the mixture out into an even layer. Get into the corners if you can.
- Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Your sponge will be ready when it is well risen, the sides are shrinking away from the edges, and the surface is firm to touch.
- Once baked, leave your sponge cake to cool for around 10 minutes on the tray before transferring upside down onto a wire rack and carefully peeling the paper off.
Whipped cream:
- While your sponge cake is cooling, whip your cream.
- Add the cream and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric hand whisk or standing mixer with the whisk attachment on, whip the cream and sugar together on a high speed until the cream can hold its shape (i.e. when a quiff of whipped cream remains on the whisk when you lift it out).
Construction & Decoration:
- Melt your chocolate now. Do this in the microwave with the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, melting in bursts of 20 seconds and stirring in between bursts until completely melted.
- Using a cookie cutter of the same size or slightly smaller than your jar circumference, cut out 12 circles of cake from your sponge.
- Pipe or spoon a layer of whipped cream into the base of each jar. Top with a circular piece of cake, then a spoon of melted chocolate. If you want to hide some candy/chocolate toppings in each layer, sprinkle a few in now. Pipe or spoon another layer of whipped cream and repeat this step until your jar is full, with the toppings as the last layer. Each jar should fit 2 – 3 rounds of chocolate cake in.
- Repeat step 3 for every jar, or until your ingredients are all used up.
- Rip up the leftover cake sponge and fill up more jars/ramekins with it, along with any spare whipped cream and sweet toppings.
- Cover the jars with their lids. Alternatively, cover the open ends of the jars with aluminium foil/beeswax paper/cling film and secure with a rubber or elastic band.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
These Wednesday watch party cake jars are a deliciously spooky treat that are perfect for solo treats or sweet numnums for loved ones, too. They are best enjoyed on the day of making, but will last for 4 days in the fridge if kept covered with their respective lids or makeshift airtight coverings. Enjoy!
The TV Show
As I have gone into detail about Netflix’s Wednesday in my brownie slab recipe post, I’ll use this space to talk about the excitement I feel about what the next season could bring.
It’s been a hot minute since the first season was released with production of the second season and its subsequent release having been delayed repeatedly for various reasons.
When the trailer for the second season dropped with an actual release date, I was thrilled! Judging from the trailer and the sneak peak that was released more recently, we’re in for another fun ride with Wednesday and co.
By the looks of things, Pugsley is also joining in on the kooky fun at Nevermore, too.
I’ve always been a fan of Tim Burton’s work and Wednesday is no exception.
He’s the perfect kind of creative to bring new creepy dimensions to an already spooky world of characters.
You can see his style all throughout the show, which is part of what makes it so fun to watch.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what Wednesday and her newfound supernatural mates get up to in their next year at Nevermore.
Particularly after what appears to be a summer of intense activity for Wednesday (as we see from the sneak peak, which is apparently in the beginning of the first episode… eeee!)
There’s so much scope with this new take on The Addams Family characters, so I really hope this adaptation continues and gives us a lot of spooky, kooky goodness.
Recipe Card
Wednesday Watch Party Cake Jars
Equipment
- 1 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin
Ingredients
Wednesday watch party cake jars:
- 4 large eggs
- 60 g [¼ cup + 1 tbsp] caster sugar
- 40 g [3 tbsp] light brown sugar
- 60 g [¼ cup + 2 tbsp] plain [all purpose] flour
- 40 g [¼ cup + 2 tbsp] cocoa powder
- A pinch of sea or rock salt
Fillings & toppings:
- 100 g [3.5 oz] chocolate of your choice i.e. milk melted
- 400 ml [1½ cups + 3 tbsp] double [whipping] cream
- 1 tbsp icing [confectioners sugar]
- Smarties
- Chocolate buttons
- Chocolate chips
- Candy eyes
- Jelly babies
- Halloween candy pieces i.e. gummy spiders
Instructions
Wednesday watch party cake jars sponge:
- Preheat your oven to 190°C [375°F] or 170°C fan. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll cake tin with a sheet of baking parchment/greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and both sugars and whisk on a medium – high speed using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or electric hand whisk. Do this for around 3 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and is pale in colour. The mixture should leave a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk (it continuously falls from the whisk for a few seconds).
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold everything together using a metal spoon. Do this carefully so as not to knock any air out. The mixture will be ready when there are no flour or cocoa powder streaks left. Be sure to scrape any build up off the spoon and gently work it back into the mixture!
- Pour the mixture onto the lined tray. Using an offset palette knife or ordinary cutlery knife, gently spread the mixture out into an even layer. Get into the corners if you can.
- Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Your sponge will be ready when it is well risen, the sides are shrinking away from the edges, and the surface is firm to touch.
- Once baked, leave your sponge cake to cool for around 10 minutes on the tray before transferring upside down onto a wire rack and carefully peeling the paper off.
Whipped cream:
- While your sponge cake is cooling, whip your cream.
- Add the cream and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric hand whisk or standing mixer with the whisk attachment on, whip the cream and sugar together on a high speed until the cream can hold its shape (i.e. when a quiff of whipped cream remains on the whisk when you lift it out).
Construction & Decoration:
- Melt your chocolate now. Do this in the microwave with the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, melting in bursts of 20 seconds and stirring in between bursts until completely melted.
- Using a cookie cutter of the same size or slightly smaller than your jar circumference, cut out 12 circles of cake from your sponge.
- Pipe or spoon a layer of whipped cream into the base of each jar. Top with a circular piece of cake, then a spoon of melted chocolate. If you want to hide some candy/chocolate toppings in each layer, sprinkle a few in now. Pipe or spoon another layer of whipped cream and repeat this step until your jar is full, with the toppings as the last layer. Each jar should fit 2 – 3 rounds of chocolate cake in.
- Repeat step 3 for every jar, or until your ingredients are all used up.
- Rip up the leftover cake sponge and fill up more jars/ramekins with it, along with any spare whipped cream and sweet toppings.
- Cover the jars with their lids. Alternatively, cover the open ends of the jars with aluminium foil/beeswax paper/cling film and secure with a rubber or elastic band.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
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