Halloween Spider Cake

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake:

225g Westgold Unsalted Butter, soft

2 ¼ c caster sugar

3 large eggs

1 c plain oil

3 tbsp cocoa

1 ½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

2 ½ tbsp red food colouring

1 ½ tbsp white vinegar

4 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ c buttermilk

3 ¾ c plain flour

Ganache:

250g 60% dark chocolate

1 ½ c cream

2 tbsp white chocolate, melted

3 c Halloween-themed sweets

Method

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line 3 x 20cm cake tins.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between. Continue beating while slowly pouring in the oil.

Beat in the baking soda, salt, vanilla, colouring, and cocoa. Stop the beater and add the buttermilk, vinegar, and sifted flour. Mix on low until just combined.

Spoon evenly into the 3 cake tins and bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

To make the ganache:

Heat the cream until just boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and leave for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool.

To finish the cake:

Using a 10cm cutter, take out the centre of 2 cakes, leaving the 3^rd cake whole (for the top layer).

Place 1 cake with a hole on a serving plate. Spread on a layer of ganache and place on the second cake with the hole. Fill the cavity with the sweets.

Spread another layer of ganache on the second cake and place it on the top cake. Pour the ganache all over the top, allowing it to dribble down the sides.

Before the ganache sets, pipe a continuous circle with the white chocolate on the top of the cake.

Form the cobweb effect by pulling the skewer through the white chocolate from the centre to the outside. Allow the ganache to set. Serve.