Halloween Surprise Bug Cake Recipe

This Halloween cake is so ghoulishly creepy that some people couldn't look at it, even eat it but the people that tried it absolutely loved it! This cake is gluten free and dairy free so it's fantastic to anyone with allergies. For the surprise bug cake, double the quantity in this chocolate quinoa cake and bake it in two 20cm/8inch round tins for 60 minutes and cool them in the tin and refrigerate them overnight. The next morning make a triple batch of chocolate coconut frosting (recipe for the chocolate coconut frosting is underneath the chocolate quinoa cake).

"Surprise!" Bug Cake

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes plus cooling time once baked

You will also need:

• Creepy crawlies (edible for kids, I could only find plastic ones but most of my guests were adults)
• 100g/3.5ozs. dark chocolate
• 30g/1oz. white chocolate

Degree of difficulty: medium

Step 1 - Split each cake in half so you end up with four tiers. Place the first tier on a cake turntable. Spread with frosting. With the second and third cake tiers, take a 6cm/2.4inch round cutter and cut out a hole in the centre of each.

Step 2 - Spread the second and third tiers with icing in between and then pop the creatures in the hole. Place the last tier on top. Spread with a layer of frosting. Refrigerate for an hour.

Step 3 - Melt the dark and white chocolate separately. Spread out the dark chocolate across the top of the cake letting some drip down. Place the white chocolate in a small piping bag. Pipe white concentric circles on top of the dark chocolate (be sure to do this while it is still liquid and not set). Take a skewer or toothpick and draw a line from the centre to the edge of the cake to create a feathered, spidery effect. Allow to set. I find that this is best served with one piece cut out already so that guests can see the inside.