Spooky Spiderweb Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray four 8 1/2 inch round pans with non-stick cooking spray and add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to each pan. Move the cocoa powder around to cover the pans and tap out the excess into the next pan or into the garbage. Feel free to use regular cocoa powder for this.
2. In a mixing bowl, add in the vegetable oil and sugar. Mix until incorporated.
3. Add in the vanilla and one egg at a time until incorporated. Once incorporated, add the next egg.
4. In a large measuring cup or bowl, add in the cold buttermilk and strong coffee. The cold buttermilk will cool down the coffee if it’s hot. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine.
6. Alternately add the dry and wet mixtures into the vegetable oil and sugar mixture starting and ending with flour. I broke mine into flour 4 times and buttermilk 3 times. Scrape down the sides and bottom and mix for additional 30 seconds. If you want the cake darker, add the gel paste color in with the last addition of flour.
7. Pour 3 of the 4 pans 3/4 full of batter. In the last pan, add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan.
8. Place the 3 pans that are 3/4 full in the oven and let them bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until done. To check, place a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out with batter on it, bake it longer and check it again. If it comes out clean or with moist crumbs, it’s done.
9. Place the 4th pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until done. Check it the same way as the first 3 pans.
10. Let the cakes cool completely.

Green Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix on low until almost combined. This will help prevent powdered sugar from flying all over.
2. Once everything is nearly combined, add in the electric green gel paste color and turn the mixer on high and mix about 2 minutes.
3. Set aside.

Black Chocolate Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the butter and cocoa powder and mix until combined.
2. Add in the powdered sugar and milk and mix until incorporated.
3. If you want it darker, add in the black gel paste color. Mix on high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.

Green Fluff

1. Prepare the fluff after the cake is frosted.
2. In a sandwich bag, add in the fluff and green gel paste color.
3. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds and squish the bag around to color the fluff. The bag will be pretty warm so be careful.

Assemble

1. In a piping bag with a coupler, add about 3/4 cup of black frosting.
2. Place a layer of cake on the cake plate. If it needs cut to be flat, do so and set the scrapes aside with the very slim layer of cake we baked.
3. Pipe a ring of black frosting on the edge of the cake.
4. Fill the center of the cake with the green frosting.
5. Add another layer of cake. Trim as needed and place scrapes with the last ones. Repeat filling the cake.
6. Add the top layer of cake. Run a spatula around the outside around the black frosting to seal in the green frosting. Chill at this time if you have room in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It will help stabilize the cake.
7. Add a big dollop of black chocolate frosting to the top of the cake. Work it over the edges. Try to move the frosting back and forth and not to pull the spatula straight away from the cake. That will help prevent crumbs from coming to the surface.
8. Once the cake is covered, smooth out the frosting with the spatula.
9. Add a swirl to the top of the cake by placing your spatula into the center and spinning a turntable and moving your spatula towards the outside of the cake. It’s a nice little additon to the cake.
10. Draw a spiderweb on the top of the cake similar to mine or better! Run the remaining fluff along the edge of the cake and let it drip over the edge.
11. Add about 1/4 cup of black frosting to the cake scraps and mix to form cake balls. Scoop out the cake balls and place on parchment paper.
12. Place in the fridge for 25 – 30 minutes.
13. Roll the cake into balls. If you do this before it’s been chilled, they will be incredibly messy.
14. Heat the black melting chocolates for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat microwaving and stirring two more times.
15. Place in a sandwich bag and cut out a corner. Pipe V’s that would fit the shape of your cake balls. Try to keep the size of the legs the same. Let dry. It will take 15 – 30 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen or just place them in the fridge. Be sure to make extra legs, they break easy!
16. Stick the red eyes into the cake ball. Place the cake ball on the cake and add the legs.