Chocolate Spider Web Halloween Cake

For the Cake

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup strong hot coffee Use a Moka pot so it's basically espresso
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound confectioners sugar sifted
• ⅓ cup fudge nice quality
• 1/3 cup white chocolate melted

For the Spider:

• 1 Brown peanut M&M
• 1 Brown M&M
• 2 tbsp semi sweet chocolate melted

DIRECTIONS

For the Cake:

1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Add parchment paper to a sheet cake pan, butter and flour the paper and sides.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl.
6. Whisk to combine then mix on level 2 for two minutes.
7. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Allow time to cool. Invert onto wire racks to cool fully.

For the Frosting:

1. Beat butter in a stand mixer. Add cocoa powder on a lower level.
2. Combine confectioners sugar, then salt.
3. Add fudge in slowly.
4. Mix until incorporated.

For the Assembly:

1. Add buttercream to the top of the cake with an ice cream scooper. Spread over with an offset spatula. 
2. Drizzle a white chocolate spiral.
3. Drag a point tool or toothpick through both layers, starting from the middle of the spiral. This will create a web look.

For the Spider:

1. Melt semi sweet chocolate. Transfer to a piping bag.
2. Pipe ‘L’ shaped legs onto parchment paper with the black gel bag. Transfer to the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes to set.
3. Add a brown peanut m&m for the body and a brown m&m for the head of the spider.
4. Stick legs around the m&m body.

Notes

• Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• The batter is very liquidy so don’t panic! The cake will end up AMAZINGLY MOIST.
• You can use room temperature or even cold coffee in the batter if you’d prefer.
• Not a coffee fan? Sub in water or milk instead.