Spooky Spider Gateau

For the cake: heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm|8" springform cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Beat the butter until soft and gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks one by one until well blended. Sift in the flour and baking powder; add the ground almonds and chocolate and mix well.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gradually fold into the mixture together with the rum.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and level the top. Bake for 40 minutes (testing with a skewer or cocktail stick). Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling: Heat 100 ml milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Mix together the cornflour, sugar, vanilla and the remaining milk to form a smooth paste. Add to the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Set aside and allow to cool.

Cream the butter until soft and creamy. Mix in the cooled milk mixture a little at a time until the mixture is smooth.

Slice the cake horizontally twice and fill with the buttercream filling Sandwich the cake together again and lightly press together.

For the spider’s eyes: draw eyes on two red chocolate beans using the ready to use

icing and allow to dry.

to decorate: whisk the cream until thick and sprinkle in the gelatine. Place about 4 tbsp of the cream in a small bowl and colour using the black food colouring (only give the cream a short stir). Colour the remaining cream green.

Cover the top of the cooled cake with the green cream. Place the rum truffle in the middle of the cake. Attach the eyes to the rum truffle using the icing. Bend 8 liquorice sticks and stick the spider’s legs into the rum truffle and the cake.

Fill a piping bag with the black coloured cream and using a small holed nozzle, pipe a spider’s web on the cake.