Decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake with Spiderweb Design

Spiderweb Chocolate Cake

Halloween is right around the corner, and there's no better way to get into the festive spirit than with a spooky and delicious treat! Our Spiderweb Chocolate Fudge Cake is not only fun to make but also irresistibly rich and chocolatey, sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

The cake is beautifully dense and moist, crafted with premium cocoa for an intense chocolate flavour. It's topped with a chocolate ganache frosting, made with dark chocolate to ensure a smooth, velvety texture.

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The centerpiece of this delightful dessert is its stunning spiderweb design, artfully created with melted white chocolate drizzled over the frosting, adding a touch of spooky elegance. Perfect for a Halloween party or a cosy night in with family or friends, this cake is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.

Gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let the Halloween baking festivities begin!

To prepare the Spiderweb Chocolate Cake

Equipment

1 x 18cm / 7" round cake tin with removable base, lined bottom & sides with parchment
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or 350°F (Gas 4)

Step 1: Prepare the Cake Batter

In a large bowl, beat together the super soft butter, golden syrup, and sugar until extremely creamy, pale, and fluffy.
Gradually add in the eggs. Don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled at this stage!
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder, then sift through a sieve.
On low speed, add the flour and cocoa powder mixture into the butter-based mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts. Remember to scrape the edges of the bowl with a spatula in between additions. As soon as 95% of the floury mixture has disappeared, stop beating. The less you work the flour, the better!

Step 2: Bake the Cake

Transfer the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes (or until a wooden skewer comes out clean), rotating the tin halfway for more even baking.
Cool completely and then invert onto a cooling rack. The flat bottom should now be facing you!

Step 3: Make the Chocolate Ganache

The cake should be completely cool before you ice it!
Put the cream and dark chocolate drops in a bowl and position over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie), making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
As soon as the chocolate mixture is about 80% melted, remove from the heat and stir to melt the remaining chocolate and combine perfectly. You may need to leave the chocolate to cool down a bit so it develops a thicker pouring consistency.

Step 4: Decorate the Cake

Melt the white chocolate on a bain-marie and then transfer to a tiny paper cone or ziplock bag.
Pour the chocolate glaze over the cooled cake, letting it fall naturally along the sides.
To make a white chocolate spiderweb design, immediately pipe a thin stream of the melted white chocolate from the centre, in a spiral, twilight-zone design. Take a toothpick or wooden skewer and draw lines through the spiral from the middle outward to make a spiderweb effect.