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Spooky spider web cake with a red velvet sponge, white buttercream frosting, black chocolate buttercream frosting, and a marshmallow web… deliciously spooky.  

Spooky spider web cake

It’s the season to be spooky, so I thought I’d go all out. Here, is my spooky spider web cake. Yeah, that’s right… it’s spookilicious. Red velvet cake, two different buttercream frostings, and a marshmallow web! All edible, all spooky. 

SO! Basically, I feel like I have always neglected Halloween on this blog. In all honesty, it’s probably the least important in my life, as I’ve never been one to really celebrate it! Don’t get me wrong, I adore everything autumnal, but Halloween? I hate horror movies, and I hate all things spooky. 

However… when it comes to cake? I feel like I should change this, and go all out. You guys also request spooky recipes, so I know it’s something you want! I wasn’t sure where to go, but after having a massive craving for red velvet the other day, I figured something red was the way to go. 

Cake

I decided to basically make my red velvet cake, but supersized! In my red velvet cake I do use cream cheese frosting, but that doesn’t really work with this theme in my opinion. Because this is turned into a drip cake, I thought it was best to go with a regular buttercream for firmness! 

Buttercream

When making a cake like this any way, you want to make sure the buttercream is lovely and firm, so that you are able to create that sharp edge. If you use something like cream cheese frosting, which is temperamental anyway, you will have a struggle! 

I decided to go down a two-tone buttercream so that the inside really was a surprise. I just went for a basic vanilla frosting for the middle, and crumb coat – and then I wanted the ultimate contrast of a black outer. This is best achieved by starting with a chocolate buttercream, and then making it black. Otherwise, you’ll probably end up with grey. 

Food colouring

As I have said before, the absolute best red food colouring you can use for red velvet cakes, or ganache drips is extra, is this wonderful food colouring. Don’t be scared by the price – the amount you need is minuscule in comparison to the pot, makes it worth while. Red Extra food colouring is the only one I recommend this days!

For the black food colouring, I recommend this black food colouring – I find using a really dark cocoa powder is best, and most ones such as Tesco’s own, or Dr Oetkers are a lovely dark colour anyway! Then, you add in the food colouring mixed with a smidge of boiling water and you are there! 

Marshmallow web

For the marshmallow… I didn’t invent this idea, and I must say.. it’s one of the stickiest things I have ever done. I will say this now, you will need to wear gloves.

Oh my gosh, gloves are needed. Melting the marshmallow is easier – in a pan, and heat. Then, you need to pick it up and pull it apart and attach to the cake.

This is hard to describe, best to YouTube it if you are confused! It tends to be stretchier and better if it has been cooled slightly, but cool it too much and it’ll solidify again! So.. be careful, and experiment! The good thing is, spider webs can get away with being messy for Halloween!

Edible eyes

Finally, I used edible eyes that I bought online, here! Also, a beautiful black cake board to add to the effect of the cake, but also… I just love a differently coloured cake board to the regular silver! Enjoy! 

Spooky Spider Web Cake!

Spooky spider web cake with a red velvet sponge, white buttercream frosting, black chocolate buttercream frosting, and a marshmallow web... deliciously spooky.  
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Category: Cake
Type: Cake
Keyword: Halloween
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Decorating Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 20 Pieces
Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 185 g unsalted butter
  • 400 g caster sugar
  • 5 medium eggs
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 1-2 tsp red food colouring
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 375 ml buttermilk
  • 450 g plain flour
  • 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 tsp white wine vinegar

For the Buttercreams

  • 350 g unsalted butter
  • 700 g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp black food colouring

For the Spider Web

  • 150 g marshmallows
  • Edible sugar eyes

Instructions

For the Cakes

  • Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan - and line three 20cm/8" tins with parchment paper!
  • Beat together your butter and sugar until combined.
  • Add in the eggs and cocoa powder and beat again until combined.
  • Mix the red food colouring with the vanilla to form a paste, and add into the mix. Beat until combined.
  • Add in the buttermilk and flour and beat again until combined - try not to over mix it.
  • Finally, add in the bicarbonate and white wine vinegar and beat in quickly.
  • Split the mixture between the three tins, and bake the cakes in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until baked through.
  • Once baked, the leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes or so, and then leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the Buttercreams

  • Make sure your butter is at room temperature as it's much easier to use.
  • Beat the butter on it's own to loosen it and make it perfect for the icing.
  • Add in the icing sugar and beat again until smooth!
  • Split the mixture into two.
  • In one, add the vanilla and beat until smooth!
  • In the other, add in the cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Mix the black food colouring with 1tbsp of boiling water, and beat into the buttercream.

For the Decoration!

  • Prep your cakes and make sure they are level.
  • Put your first cake onto a board, and attach to the board with a small smudge of butercream underneath.
  • Add on some buttercream and smooth over - add on the second sponge. Repeat with more buttercream and add on the third sponge.
  • Use the rest of the vanilla buttercream to make a crumb coat - spread it over the top and sides and smooth around with a scraper. Chill the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to harden!
  • Take the black buttercream and spread it over the top and sides and smooth again with a scraper.
  • Set the cake in the fridge again for 20 minutes. During this time, make the marshmallow web!
  • Add the marshmallows to a pan, and heat on a low heat - mix with a spatula until melted. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly and stir every now and again.
  • Once the cake is ready, and the marshmallow, decorate!
  • Carefully pick up the marshmallow in small lumps and stretch around the cake - again... hard to explain. Once done, add on anything else you fancy - I went for edible eyes!

Notes

ENJOY!

Find my other Cake Recipes on my Recipes Page!

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J x

© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.

25 Comments

  1. Louise on October 11, 2023 at 4:46 pm

    Will you get the same outcome when using vegetarian marshmallows?

  2. Michal on June 8, 2022 at 10:48 am

    Can i put the cake with the marshmallow in the fridge ?

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 9, 2022 at 11:45 am

      Yes absolutely! you can also freeze it for up to 3 months! Hope this helps! x



  3. Aja on November 17, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    How can I alter the recipe to a three layer; 10inch cake?

  4. Janet on October 27, 2021 at 10:28 am

    Hi Jane

    This recipe looks amazing. If I want to do just two 8 inch tins, should I just do two thirds of all ingredients. Know it won’t have quite the wow factor but don’t need such a big cake. Thanks

  5. Vicky Simpson on October 23, 2021 at 2:18 am

    5 stars
    Great cake and very affective. But I didn’t like working with the marshmallows. It was almost impossible for me, a novice baker, to get it to stay on the cake. Clean up took forever, hence why I’m up still at 2:20am. Hopefully the kids will appreciate the effort 😂

  6. Alison on October 14, 2021 at 10:40 am

    Hi, is there anyway to alter the recipe to make a smaller cake? Maybe with 6″ tins?

    • Jane's Patisserie on October 15, 2021 at 10:23 am

      For 6″ tins, I would use 2/3 of the recipe!



  7. Phoebe on December 8, 2020 at 10:56 am

    Hi, I wanted to make a red velvet cake was wondering if Swiss meringue buttercream would go well with this sponge?
    Thank you x

  8. Cristina Dascalu on November 15, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Is there any way where we don’t need 1.100 gr of sugar for one cake???

    • Jane's Patisserie on November 15, 2020 at 8:35 am

      If you want to make the cake exactly how it is in the recipe, you will need it. It’s a large cake.



  9. Holly on October 29, 2020 at 10:57 am

    Did anyone try making this with a cream cheese frosting? I’m just personally not a massive fan of buttercream and much prefer the tang of cream cheese with red velvet

  10. Nicola Jeffs on October 29, 2020 at 9:13 am

    4 stars
    I made the cake and it looks cool. Only thing is I used a WHOLE tube of extra strong black colouring, and it was still only a muddy-grey colour. Don’t get me wrong, still an appropriate colour for a Halloween cake, but just not black.

    • Jane's Patisserie on October 29, 2020 at 9:46 am

      What brand of colour did you use? If it was from a supermarket that would be why (they just really aren’t good enough at all) x



    • Sue on October 7, 2021 at 3:41 pm

      Do I need to us the white wine vinegar in this cake



  11. M on October 25, 2020 at 9:52 am

    Hey! Planning to bake this for halloween next week… if I switched the red velvet recipe to a vanilla sponge, would that work okay with the chocolate buttercream? Thank you x

  12. Lucy on October 21, 2020 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    This cake is AH-MAZE-ZING! My family loved it as an early Halloween treat. The melted Marshmallow spider web was quite messy to use, but also, really fun!
    Your recipes are always so clear to follow and always deliver fab texture and flavour.
    Thanks Jane – keep em coming!

  13. Holly on October 2, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    Hi Jane, would I need to alter the measurements if I were to do just a two tier cake but in two 9inch tins instead of 8 inch three tier?
    Thanks, Holly x

    • Jane's Patisserie on October 3, 2020 at 9:48 am

      You should be able to just split the mix between the two tins – it does take longer to bake but I’m not certain of the timings xx



  14. Livi on October 25, 2019 at 9:41 am

    Love the cake! Can’t wait to try it but wondering if it’s possible to change the recipe for two cakes rather than three?
    Thank you!

  15. Livi on October 25, 2019 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    Love the cake! Can’t wait to give it a try. but was wondering if there a way to change the recipe to two cakes rather than three?
    Thank you!

  16. SallyBR on October 19, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    That is just perfect! I love the way the marshmallow icing effect had the exact texture to give the spooky look…

    If you like to see my “spooky” cake, I just published one on my blog today… would love if you stopped by to visit…

  17. Kelly Mardon on October 19, 2019 at 10:34 am

    Awww, love this. I’m def a scary but cute Halloween baker! Xx

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