Hidden Horror Black Widow Cake Recipes

BLACK MAGIC CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the parchment and the sides of the pans with oil.
• Stir together the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl and let sit to bloom for 5 minutes (this step intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cake).
• Whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the bloomed cocoa, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the cocoa mixture into the sugar mixture and stir until smooth (the batter will be thin). Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the cakes bounce back when pressed in the middle and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on a rack.
• For the filling and frosting: Heat the cream in a double boiler over low heat, whisking occasionally, until it begins to steam. Whisk in the cocoa powder, chocolate, espresso powder, vanilla and salt until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter until melted. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Let the frosting cool completely.
• To assemble: Put 1 cake, bottom-side up, on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the top but not all the way down the side. Top with the other cake, bottom-side up, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
• For the spider web or mummy decoration: Microwave the marshmallows in a microwave-safe medium bowl until they swell and are soft enough to stir, about 1 minute. Let sit a few minutes until cool enough to touch. Spray your hands with cooking spray. For a spider web, pick up a tablespoon-sized blob of the melted marshmallow and stretch it over and around the cake; repeat so that the strings of marshmallow crisscross one another in many directions, and continue until you have what looks like a spider web. For a mummy, stretch the marshmallow so that all the strings on the top of the cake run in the same direction, leaving a small gap between strings for the mummy's eyes to peek out. Garnish with a candy spider or several candy spiders for the web cake or candy eyes for the mummy cake.

LADYBIRD DINER'S BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat three 10-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper; set aside. Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture, until combined.
• Stir in the hot coffee (the batter will be thin). Divide among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out mostly clean, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Let cool slightly. Add the cherries and let cool.
• Make the buttercream: Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over the pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Heat, whisking, until a candy thermometer reaches 185 degrees F, 5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites are stiff and glossy and the bowl is cool to the touch, 10 minutes. Beat in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the cherry liqueur and continue to beat until smooth. Beat in cherry syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, to tint the frosting pink.
• Spread half of the ganache on one cake and top with a second cake. Repeat with another layer of ganache and the remaining cake. Trim the sides of the cake with a serrated knife to make them even; crumble the trimmings. Frost the cake with the buttercream and pipe some around the top. Top with cherries and the reserved cake crumbs.