Totally Terrifying Cobweb Halloween Traybake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line a 12" x 9" traybake tin with baking parchment.
3. Beat together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla extract with the last of the egg.
4. Sift the cocoa powder and flour into a bowl. Fold into your mixture until fully combined, then spoon into the tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the bake comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the chocolate ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Pour into a heatproof bowl and add the chopped chocolate a little at a time, stirring until it’s completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. Leave to cool for a few minutes until just warm to the touch.
7. Pour the ganache onto the centre of the cake and spread evenly over the top. Allow to cool and set.
8. Melt the marshmallows in a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring frequently. There’s no need to melt them completely as they will continue melting after they’ve been removed from the heat. Be careful not to burn or overheat the marshmallow.
9. Check the marshmallow isn't too hot to touch, then take a little between your fingers and pull it apart so it makes thin strands. Drape the strands all over the cake to make cobwebs.
10. Once the marshmallow cobwebs have dried, position your Oreo cookies on top. Roll small pieces of brown fondant icing into thin sausages to make legs, and position on either side of each of the cookies. For the eyes, roll small balls of white icing between your fingers, squash to flatten, then add a smaller ball of black icing and squash again. Alternatively, you can make these from white icing and ‘draw’ the black pupils on using a cake decorating pen.