Halloween Spider Cake

Chocolate lovers halloween cake, ideal for younger kiddies, fun and easy to make together.

1. 1

   -Preheat oven to 180c
   - Grease an 18cm round cake tin and cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit the base, and put in tin.
   - Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, beat with a wooden spoon until just combined , be careful not to over beat it, mix long enough to make it smooth then stop.
   - Pour mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the top over.
   - Bake on the centre shelf for about 45 mins.
   ( It will look well risen and will feel springy when touched when it is cooked, I know some people stick a skewer in, and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked, but springy to touch method has never let me down)
   - Once cooked take out of oven allow around 5 minutes cooling time before taking out of the tin, then leave to cool fully on a wire rack.
   - Then the fun bit the icing, best to put the cake onto what you plan to display/ serve it on, I used a cake board, ice with almost the full tub of icing, spread around and over the cake with a butter knife, then lift the knife to create small spikes all over ( too look like hairy spikes, on the back of your hairy spider). You can also make your buttercream, but this ready made is delicious and takes all the work out.
   - Snap match makers in half to create the legs and place in the icing, use icing for the knee joint too.
   - Place you halloween eyes into the icing,if you are skilful you could always make your eyes but this is the easy option :)
   - Sprinkle colourful sprinkles onto the spiders back .
   - Snap some white chocolate into fang shapes and stick onto the front on the iced cake to create a scary smile.
   
   Enjoy :)