Happy Halloween! I didn't make to many Halloween treats this year but I wanted to make something fun for our ward Halloween party and this was the winner. For the cake, I followed the instructions for the Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake from Our Best Bites, minus the toffee. Then for the spiderweb I piped a spiral of store bought vanilla frosting. Once the spiral was finished I simply took a toothpick and drew lines through the ganache from the center to the outside. I added some plastic spiders to this later on for a fun and creepy effect. Even if you don't do the spiderweb, the cake itself was great and I'm sure it would be even better with the toffee chips!Chocolate Spiderweb Cake
modified from Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 package Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake
1 recipe (give or take a little) Chocolate Ganache *
Crushed Heath bars or a bag of chocolate-covered Heath bits
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp. cold water
2 Tbsp. boiling water (just heat it in a small bowl in your microwave)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions:
Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in 2 8″ round pans. Allow to cool and set aside. This can be done several days in advance; just freeze the cakes when you’re done.
In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute. While gelatin is softening, bring 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prepare ganache*
With a serrated knife, carefully slice the dome-iest part of each cake layer off so the layers are level. Place one layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 of the chocolate mousse over the cake. Sprinkle with Heath bits.
Place second layer on top of Heath bits.
Spoon ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with additional Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Super Easy Chocolate Ganache*
Ingredients:
8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate
8 oz. heavy cream
Instructions:
Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don’t find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it.
The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it’s a little too thin for you, hang tight and it will be ready pretty quickly. When it’s completely cool, it will be thick and fudgy and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.
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