Ingredients
Serves: 12
Prep: 35 minutes
Bake: 35-40 mins
Sponges
- 330g plain flour
- 400g granulated sugar
- 80g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1.5 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 360ml milk
- 120 vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 240ml water, boiling
- I tbsp coffee granules
Chocolate buttercream
- 180g soft butter
- 130g icing sugar
- 50g unsweetened cocoa powder
- Dash vanilla extract
Web design & spider
- 200g Gem dark chocolate
- 175g Gem Royal Icing
- 30ml water
- Black Fondant Spider (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Grease and line three 8-inch round tins.
- Into a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and oil until combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt, add the sugar, and mix until smooth and lump-free.
- Dissolve the coffee granules in the hot water, stir in, and mix to combine.
- Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, and chill the sponges before decorating.
- For the buttercream, beat the soft butter, icing sugar, cocoa, and vanilla together until soft & creamy. Set aside.
- To assemble, sandwich the sponges with the chocolate buttercream.
- For the spider's web design topping, add the royal icing to a bowl with the water and whisk until smooth. Add more water to get it to a piping consistency if needed. Spoon this into a piping bag and set aside.
- Spread the melted dark chocolate over the top of the cake and pipe on the royal icing spiderweb design.
- Add on the fondant spider and tuck in!
