Tsukimi has passed us, and we’ve headed into the start of Autumn which means that the days will soon be getting cooler, longer and darker. Though saying goodbye to those days spent in the summer sunshine can be hard, there’s plenty of holidays and events to look forward to. Next up on the calendar is the spookiest night of the year: Halloween, and although not a native festival in Japan, they certainly know how to make the most of it.

Livening up the Halloween season – the bakery behind the ever popular ‘Neko Neko Shokupan’ – Heart Bread Antique is here waiting with a range of Spooktacular treats. Seasonal chocolate donut rings decorated with motifs inspired by ghosts, croissants coated in plenty of pumpkin goodness and cupcakes oozing with mysteriously tasty purple goo are just some of the bakes and cakes that will be available on the bakery’s special menu throughout the month of October.

Halloween Chocolate Ring

Nothing screams halloween quite as well as all the decorations made of bright orange and deep black – and these Chocolate ring donuts are made with those colours in mind. Chocolate chips and walnuts are kneaded into the black cocoa donut dough, before being baked in the oven.
To top it all off, a blend of pumpkin paste and cream cheese decorate the donut crater, providing a mellow taste that contradicts the bitter tones of the rich cocoa dough. The final touch comes with a sprinkle of crumbled biscuits and marshmallow slices, which in addition to the smooth soft feel of the cream coating and the slight crunch of the dough, give this donut a large variation in textures.

In addition to the standard sized donut, the Halloween Chocolate Ring is also available in an SS size, which is one size smaller than normal.

Price: 747 yen (tax included)
SS Size: 486 yen (tax included)

Zeppin! Halloween Croissant

If you much prefer the buttery and flakey sweetness of croissants instead, then this Halloween inspired croissant will be the choice for you.
Made by kneading French fermented butter into slightly bitter black cocoa dough, before being finished off with a helping of pumpkin paste and cream cheese, this Halloween croissant could be the secret to spooking up a breakfast on the scariest day of the year.

Price: 162 yen (tax included)

Halloween Donut Selection

Limited to October only, these soft crispy donuts have been decorated with the cutest icing illustrations of ghosts, jack-o'lanterns, spider webs and skeletons.
Though available to purchase individually, the set might make for a perfect selection for a Halloween party treat.

Price: 194 yen (tax included)

Cheese in Baum – Halloween

This special treat takes a spin on Heart Bread Antique’s signature ‘Cheese in Baum’ cake – a cream cheese filled sponge inspired by baumkuchen.
During autumn the cakes are filled with purple sweet potato cream cheese, and for October only, they feature Halloween inspired motifs.

The cakes are enjoyable just as they are, but stick them in the microwave or oven for a few seconds and the cream cheese will ooze out of the sponge, as if it were a soup in a magic cauldron.

Price: 388 yen (tax included)

Ghostly Fougasse

This fun bread has been made by thinly stretching French bread dough into a ghostly shape, before baking it and finishing off with a touch of salt and olive oil.
The comical design is perfect for entertaining guests on halloween, and paired with a glass of wine the crisp texture and slight saltiness will have any foodie craving for more.

Price: 194 yen (tax included)

Available from the 1st to the 31st of October, make sure to grab whatever spooktastic bread and baked treats you want from Heart Bread Antique Bakery before the season is over.