Chocolate cake is suitable for all occasions, Halloween included, and it's easy to tailor to the scary theme with some creative decorating. But for perfect results, you don't need complex pipe icing skills; you need only a few ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard. With this recipe by Emily Angle, a talented home cook and BBC Good Food editor, you can make a Halloween-themed cake in just one hour.
The chocolate sheet cake is baked in a single layer for ease and topped with a "glossy" ganache icing. Emily said it's finished with a melted marshmallow drizzle shaped like spider cobwebs; it's "perfect" for a party. Moreover, it takes 30 minutes to prepare and will be kept in an airtight container for a few days after baking.
Chocolate cobweb cake recipe 250g/9oz unsalted butter softened, plus extra for greasing 250g/9oz caster sugar Four free-range eggs, lightly beaten One tsp vanilla extract 1⁄2 tsp black gel food colour (optional) 50g/2oz cocoa powder 200g/7oz self-raising flour 200g/7oz dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces 200ml/7fl oz double cream 10 white marshmallows Edible candy eyes ( £1.55 in Sainsbury's ) First, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. While the oven gets up to heat, grease and line a 20x30cm/8x12in rectangular cake tin and line with baking paper.
Combine the butter and sugar with a hand-held mixer for the cake mixture until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well betwe.