Spooky spider web cake with a red velvet sponge, white buttercream frosting, black chocolate buttercream frosting, and a marshmallow web... deliciously spooky.
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
This cake will last for 3 days easily! Room temperature is best so the cake doesn't dry out.
All of the decorations are optional... but the marshmallow is cool. Just be prepared for the stickiness!
You can easily use any sponge you like in the middle, you can find lots of other recipes on my blog! I just did the red velvet as it was 'blood red'!