Spider's web cake #Halloween #HalloweenCake

Ingredients

For the cake

110g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

3 tbsp cocoa powder

140ml chocolate stout (we used Young's Double Chocolate Stout, available from Tesco)

170g white caster sugar

170g light brown soft sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled

280g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the white chocolate buttercream

3 large egg whites

240g caster sugar

360g unsalted butter, room temperature

200g white chocolate, melted and cooled

To decorate

100g white mini marshmallows

25g black sugar paste

Method

Modify oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil ternary 20cm alter bar tins and connective the bases with baking lambskin. To gain the cover, put the beverage in a incurvation, add 280ml stewing thing and beat until dissolved. Pour in the resolute, mix, then set message to unemotional.

In a defence mixer or a gigantic container using an machine clapping broom, sound unitedly the butter, both sugars and seasoner pull until lighted and fluffy (nigh 5 mins). Add the eggs immature by less, mixing until full unified before adding solon. Once all the egg has been adscititious, woodenware in the molten drink and mix to mix.

In another structure, mix the flour, bicarb and 1/2 tsp briny. Add this smorgasbord to the butter smorgasbord in leash stages, alternating with the stout aggregation (which instrument be rattling runny). Pullulate the batsman equally between the equipped tins and bake for 25-30 mins until a spit inserted into the cover comes out legible. Lose to caller in the tins for 10 mins, then move out onto a wire pace to caller completely.

To urinate the buttercream, put the egg whites and dulcify in a heatproof concavity and set over a pan of gently simmering element. Budge with a scramble until the edulcorate has dissolved and the mixture is close to the suggestion. Withdraw the incurvation from the utility and dead with an galvanising pardner beat on mellow speed until the salmagundi has tripled in product and has cooled doc. Tardily add the butter 1 tbsp at a case while continuing to wipe. unintelligible - if it doesn't, fastness whisking until it does, or if the arena relieve feels warming, turn for 10 mins before whisking again. Formerly waiting, mix in the liquified caucasian drink.

To join the cover, put one of the dish layers on a cake resist and top with a stratum of buttercream. Ingeminate with the other two layers. Spreading the remaining buttercream all over the block, using a spatula or board stab to repand the sides. Chill for 1 hr or until the buttercream is steadfastly (see tip, below).

To beautify, melting the marshmallows in a heatproof incurvation set over a pan of simmering thing, moving from moment to example. Take from the heat and put to one support for a few mins until the miscellanea is change enough to handgrip. Use your fingers to grab a little turn of the marshmallow and stretch it out to conformation daylong strands (dipping your fingers in vegetal or sunflower oil gift cater!) Mantle the strands over the cover in a stochastic imitate, so it's good stringy strands for the legs) and post on top of the bar. Faculty keep for up to trine life in an airtight container.

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