Caramel Surprise Spider Web Cakes Recipe

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a muffin tin with Muffin Cases. Sift the cocoa into a bowl and gradually whisk in 150ml ( ¼ pt) cold water to make a paste. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until well blended. Whisk in the eggs then sift the flour and Baking Powder on top. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the flour into the cake batter along with the cocoa mixture.

Spoon into the Muffin Cases and bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 18-20 minutes until lightly risen and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To decorate, put the butter in a bowl and gradually sieve and mix the icing sugar into the butter to make a smooth, creamy icing. Spoon 125g (4 ½ oz) into a bowl and mix in the Caramel Flavour.

Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop out a portion of cake from the centre of each cake and divide the caramel icing between them. Press the scooped out cake pieces back on top.

Put 15ml (1 tbsp) of the remaining plain butter icing into a small bowl and mix in the whole tube of Jet Black Gel Food Colour to make a dark, glossy shade, soft in texture. Squeeze the whole tube of Neon Orange Gel Food Colour into the remaining icing to make a vibrant shade. Mix in sufficient milk to make a soft, spreadable icing – the icing needs to be softer than the texture required for piping.

Spread the orange icing neatly over the top of each cup cake. Spoon the black icing into a small uncut piping bag then snip off the end of the bag to give a narrow piping hole.

Working on one cake at a time, start in the middle by piping a small blob then pipe 4 circles round the blob, until you reach the edge of the icing. Using a skewer or cocktail stick, carefully drag from the central blob, down through the piped rings in a straight line to make the web effect. You will find it easier to space the web pattern evenly if you work round the cake in quarter sections.

Once you've piped webs on all the cakes, they are ready to serve and enjoy!