Spider Web Smores Recipes

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with black paper liners.
• Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together the buttermilk, coffee, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.
• Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the bowl then add the remaining wet ingredients and beat to combine. Scrape down the bowl and paddle. Increase the speed to medium and beat for a full minute.
• Fill the prepared cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 15 to 18 minutes.
• For the frosting: Microwave the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat, scrapping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, milk and vanilla, then beat until smooth. Add the room temperature melted chocolate, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until very light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Decoratively pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in a circular, upward motion. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 10 minutes.
• For the marshmallow web: beat the marshmallows in a large bowl with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed until the marshmallows break up, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until glossy and smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, and beat again until very thick and smooth, about 1 more minute. Using two forks, pull out about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow at a time, stretch into thin strands and drape over the top and around each cupcake to create a web.
• Stick one gummy spider candy on each, then let the marshmallow set, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In sets of 8, arrange the pretzel sticks into the spokes of 10 webs, with the centers touching and the outer edges spaced.
• Melt the melting wafers according to the package instructions, approximately 2 minutes in a microwave or 3 to 5 minutes over a double boiler. Transfer to a piping bag and cut the tip to create a small hole.
• Pipe a small amount of the melted candy onto the center of each web where the pretzels meet; this will hold the webs together. Then pipe a web pattern by starting in the center and spiraling out to the edges. Go around the outer edges a couple times to create a firm border. Carefully spoon over the sprinkles. Repeat with the remaining webs.
• Place chocolate spiders in the center, if using. Let set 1 hour.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease three 20cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment. To make the cake, put the cocoa in a bowl, add 280ml boiling water and whisk until dissolved. Pour in the stout, mix, then set aside to cool.
• In a stand mixer or a large bowl using an electric hand whisk, beat together the butter, both sugars and vanilla extract until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Add the eggs little by little, mixing until fully incorporated before adding more. Once all the egg has been added, spoon in the melted chocolate and mix to combine.
• In another bowl, mix the flour, bicarb and 1/2 tsp salt. Add this mixture to the butter mixture in three stages, alternating with the stout mixture (which will be very runny). Pour the batter equally between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the buttercream, put the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with an electric hand whisk on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and has cooled down. Slowly add the butter 1 tbsp at a time while continuing to whisk. Once all the butter has been added, the mixture should look glossy and thick - if it doesn't, keep whisking until it does, or if the bowl still feels warm, chill for 10 mins before whisking again. Once ready, mix in the melted white chocolate.
• To assemble the cake, put one of the cake layers on a cake stand and top with a layer of buttercream. Repeat with the other two layers. Spread the remaining buttercream all over the cake, using a spatula or palette knife to smooth the sides. Chill for 1 hr or until the buttercream is firm (see tip, below).
• To decorate, melt the marshmallows in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and put to one side for a few mins until the mixture is cool enough to handle. Use your fingers to grab a small amount of the marshmallow and stretch it out to form long strands (dipping your fingers in vegetable or sunflower oil will help!) Drape the strands over the cake in a random pattern, so it's thoroughly covered. Create a spider using the sugar paste (roll two balls, one bigger than the other, for the body, and thin strands for the legs) and place on top of the cake. Will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.