Spider Cake

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, for the cake
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, for the cake
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, for the cake
• 1 cup hot strong coffee or hot water
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, for the frosting
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, for the frosting
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, for the frosting
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the frosting
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, for the ganache
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, for the ganache
• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small shards or shaved with a vegetable peeler, for the sides
• 2 ounces white chocolate, melted, for the web
• 1 chocolate truffle and 1 chocolate-covered malt ball, for the spider
• 2 candy eyes

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, then butter the parchment and dust the pans with cocoa powder.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then stir in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin.
3. Divide the batter between the pans and bake until a toothpick poked in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and let them cool completely.
4. For the frosting, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and 2/3 cup cocoa powder and beat on low until combined, then add 1/4 cup cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. For the ganache, put the chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring 3/4 cup cream just to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes, then stir from the center outward until glossy and smooth. Set aside 2 tablespoons for the spider legs and let the rest cool until it is thick but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
6. Level the cake layers if they domed. Set one layer on a serving plate, spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting over the top and set the second layer on it, bottom side up. Frost the sides generously and spread a thin, smooth coat over the top. Chill the cake for 20 minutes.
7. Press handfuls of the dark chocolate shards onto the sides of the cake with your palm, working all the way around, then brush any loose bits off the plate.
8. Pour the cooled ganache onto the center of the cake and nudge it out to the edge with an offset spatula so it stays contained on top. Chill for 10 minutes, until the surface has set but is still soft.
9. Spoon the melted white chocolate into a small piping bag or a zip-top bag with one corner barely snipped. Pipe 8 straight lines from the center of the cake out to the edge, like spokes on a wheel. Then, starting near the center and working outward, connect the spokes with short curved lines that sag toward the middle, spacing the rings about 3/4 inch apart.
10. For the spider, warm the reserved ganache until it is soft enough to pipe but holds its shape. Pipe 8 bent legs directly on the cake, radiating from the spot just off center where the body will sit. Press the truffle onto the middle of the legs, attach the malt ball to its front with a dab of ganache for the head, and stick on the candy eyes. Chill for 15 minutes to set.
11. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. Leftovers keep, covered, for 3 days.