Description
This Spiderweb Cake is the answer to your Halloween wishes! It’s a deliciously moist, deep-dark chocolate cake that delivers a huge “wow” factor with a surprisingly simple trick. The secret? Stretchy, melted marshmallows spun into an intricate, edible web. Forget complicated piping; this fun, hands-on method creates an incredibly realistic and spooky effect for the coolest Halloween cake on the block.
Ingredients
For the Dark Chocolate Cake
- box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Devil's Food Cake Mix
- cup Prepared Coffee, room temperature
- cup Vegetable Oil
- Large Eggs
- teaspoon Black Gel Food Color (optional, for extra-dark cake)
For the Frosting & Decoration
- tub ( oz) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
- teaspoons Black Gel Food Color
- cups Mini Marshmallows
- Optional: Plastic Spiders for garnish
Instructions
- Prep Pans & Oven: Preheat oven to (). Grease and line the bottom of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Mix the Batter: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, room-temperature coffee, oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth. If using, mix in 1 teaspoon of black gel food color.
- Bake and Cool: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- Create Black Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the tub of chocolate frosting with 2 teaspoons of black gel food color. Beat with an electric mixer until the color is uniform and the frosting is smooth.
- Assemble and Frost Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting over it. Top with the second layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake.
- Spin the Marshmallow Web: Place about 1/3 cup of mini marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds, just until puffed. Using clean, disposable gloves, grab the warm marshmallow and stretch it between your hands to create thin strands. Drape and wrap these strands all over the cake. Repeat in batches until the cake is covered. Garnish with plastic spiders if desired.
Notes
- Perfect Release: Lining your cake pans with parchment paper is the best way to guarantee your cake layers won’t stick or break.
- Room Temp is Key: Using room-temperature ingredients (especially eggs and coffee) helps the batter mix properly, creating a more tender cake.
- Deepest Black Color: For the richest black frosting, use a high-quality gel food color, which is more concentrated than liquid coloring and won’t thin the frosting.
- Crumb Coat for Smoothness: For a super smooth finish, apply a thin “crumb coat” of frosting, chill the cake for 15 minutes, then apply the final, thicker layer.
- Web-Spinning Tip: The marshmallow web process is sticky! Use a fresh pair of disposable gloves for each new batch. A light spritz of cooking spray on your gloves can also help.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake, Halloween
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380kcal
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
