This Halloween layer cake with a hidden centre was super fun to make but a total experiment. I am sure I will try it again next year to make a slightly more refined version, but it sure is a delicious cake. Four layers of super moist colourful sponge concealing the gummy snakes hidden inside. Then spread with chocolaty cream cheese frosting and encased in sticky marshmallow webs. To top it off some crispy meringue ghosts and a liquorice legged spider. Halloween Dreams!
Hidden Centre Spider Web Cake
This Halloween layer cake with a hidden centre was super fun to make but a total experiment. I am sure I will try it again next year to make a slightly more refined version, but it sure is a delicious cake. Four layers of super moist colourful sponge concealing the gummy snakes hidden inside. Then spread with chocolaty cream cheese frosting and encased in sticky marshmallow webs. To top it off some crispy meringue ghosts and a liquorice legged spider. Halloween Dreams!
Share via Email
Share on Facebook
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 1 Cup Plain or Greek yogurt
- 2 Cups Light brown or white granulated sugar
- 6 Large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Cups All-Purpose/Cake Flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Oil (Vegetable/Sunflower/Canola)
- Gel food colouring I used purple, green and orange
Cream Cheese Icing/Frosting
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter (113g) Softened to room temperature
- 1 Cup Plain Cream Cheese (250g) Softened to room temperature
- 3 Cups Icing/Powdered Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder* Black Cocoa powder is preferable if you can find it
- 2 tsp Fresh cream or milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Black gel food colouring*
- Food-grade activated charcoal powder* Optional
Optional extras for decorating
- Gummy snakes
- 1 – 2 Cups White Marshmallows Mini marshmallows melt easier
- Meringue kisses aka ghosts
- Liquorice for spider legs
Instructions
Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line the bottom of 4 x 18 – 20cm (which I used) or 3 x 20 – 23cm springform cake tins with removable bottoms with baking paper then spray evenly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside
- In a large bowl, add the yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined
- Sieve in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to just barely combined
- Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry if it seems to separate at first. Keep stirring until a smooth batter forms
- Split the batter between 3 or 4 bowls, depending on the amount of layers you are making and add the gel food colouring a few drops at a time to each. Stir until the colour is evenly distributed. Add more colour until your desired colour is reached. I used, orange, green and purple and left one plain which gave a yellowish colour, but you could use another colour such as black.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tins
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (if splitting the batter between two tins, check at 25 minutes). Be careful not to over bake
- Cool the cakes in the tins on a wire rack for around 10 – 15 minutes. Then remove from the cake tins and cool completely (before decorating) on the wire rack, approx. 1 hour*
Cream Cheese Icing/Frosting* (See notes below)
- Add softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer or a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat on high speed until smooth and combined
- Slow down the mixer and add the sifted icing/powdered sugar and cocoa powder a bit at a time
- Once all the sugar and cocoa has incorporated, add in the cream and vanilla and mix through. Next, add the activated charcoal powder and black gel food colouring a bit at a time and continue whipping until the desired colour is reached and it is smooth, light and a fluffy**
Assembly and decorating
- To assemble, level the cakes if using layers, and if necessary. Add the icing/frosting between the layers then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting and decorate as you wish. Or feel free to follow the various instructions below for a similar cake to mine
- I decided to have a hidden centre of gummy snakes in my cake but this is totally optional. If you would like to, ice and stack three of the four (or two of the three) layers of cake, then use a tall straight sided glass and push it down in the middle of the cake to cut a void. The cake should come out with the glass. You can choose to ice this void/tunnel before adding the snakes or leave the cake exposed. Then add the gummy snakes. I rolled them up to fit more inside. Finally, stack the top layer of cake on top and spread the top and sides of the cake with icing. Then smooth it out a little and place it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the icing set a little before decorating
- If not adding snakes to the centre, simply spread the icing on each layer and stack, then cover the top and sides with icing and smooth out a little. Place it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the icing set a little before decorating
- For the marshmallow web: Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 second bursts or until they puff and lose their shape. Stir well until smooth and lump free. Let the marshmallow cool slightly, then dip your fingers (I would suggest wearing gloves) into the marshmallow mixture and stretch until a it's thin and web like. Wrap it around the cake and repeat the process until the web effect covers the cake as much as you like. This is a very sticky and messy process but have fun. It is also handy to have someone with you for this stage as you might need an extra (clean) set of hands if the situation gets too sticky. Let the cake stand until firm, about 10 minutes
- Decorate further with whatever you wish. I made meringue kisses for the ghosts and used the leftover frosting to pipe their eyes and to make a body and head for the spider with liquorice pieces for it's legs. But feel free to use gummies, sweets, chocolates or even cookies to decorate your masterpiece
Notes
*If you do not want black icing/frosting then omit the cocoa powder, black food colouring and activated charcoal. You can make it any colour you want or leave it plain. But if you want to achieve a true black you have to start with a dark base. Just using food colouring will more than likely only make it grey. So starting with brown, adding food colouring and activated charcoal powder (which you can find at health food stores or some pharmacies) will help make it black. Another tip is to make the icing/frosting the night before as it will darken over time. I make my cakes and icing the night before, then remove them all a few minutes minutes before I want to decorate.
**If you want a more intense colour, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the icing inside the bowl to prevent it from drying out and place in the fridge overnight. Remove a few minutes before decorating to let it soften a bit.
Tried this recipe?Post your pics and tag us at @my_homemade_kitchen_za or #myhomemadekitchen!
Leave a Reply