Happy Friday! Spooky season is in full swing at my house and I’m so excited to share this Mickey Boo Spiderweb Cake! This black and white marble cake is topped with black cocoa frosting, fondant Mickey Boos, and marshmallow spiderwebs! I love a good marble cake and this one is no exception. It’s moist and delicious and not overly sweet thanks to the use of black cocoa powder. I last used black cocoa powder in my Space Mountain Smoothie Bowl and was so intrigued by its dark black color and deep chocolate flavor that I knew I had to try it in a cake. Halloween created the perfect opportunity and I love how it turned out!
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To me, black cocoa powder tastes like an Oreo. While it is a deeper chocolate flavor, it’s not overly sweet. If you do prefer a sweet chocolate flavor, you can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder or use a combination of black cocoa and unsweetened cocoa. If you do a full a substitute to unsweetened cocoa powder, you’ll need to add some black gel food coloring to your chocolate cake batter and frosting to get a black color. Black cocoa powder can be hard to find in stores, but is available to ship from King Arthur Baking Company. I used their cocoa powder in this recipe and was very happy with the taste and quality.
This cake is fun to make, but can get a little messy at times, so make sure to give yourself some extra time and definitely wear an apron!
To start, prepare the cake pans. For this cake, I used two 6-inch round cake pans and one 4-inch round cake pan. Make sure to grease the pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper to make them easier to remove.
The initial process of making this cake batter is a little different from my other cakes because we’re using cake flour. The cake flour has less protein in it and gives the cake a lighter texture. I ordered cake flour from King Arthur Baking Company but I have seen other brands in my local stores as well. Since we’re using cake flour, start by combining the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter and beat until combined. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth. Then, add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for about 1-1 1/2 minutes.
Since this is a marble cake, we’ll turn half of the vanilla batter into chocolate batter. To do this, first take a separate medium sized bowl and whisk together the black cocoa powder and the hot water. Then, add half of the vanilla batter to the bowl and beat until combined.
Scoop spoonfuls of the vanilla and chocolate batters into the prepared pans in a random pattern. Try to have equal amounts of the two batters in each pan. Using a knife, swirl the two batters together to create the marble pattern. Bake at 325 F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cakes have cooled, make the frosting by whisking together the black cocoa powder and the melted butter. Alternately add the powdered sugar and the milk and beat until combined and easily spreadable. Add additional milk if needed. Transfer the icing to a piping bag and set aside until ready to decorate.
To frost the cakes, start by making the tops of the cakes level by cutting off the top of each cake using a serrated knife. To make this cake easier to move around, I placed it on a 6-inch cake board that I had covered with aluminium foil. Set the cake board on top of a cake decorating turntable, overturned bowl, or overturned plate. Place one of the 6-inch cakes, cut side up, onto the cake board. Pipe frosting onto the top of the cake and spread into an even layer using an off-set spatula.
Place the second six-inch cake, cut side down, on top of the first cake. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Pipe lines of frosting around the sides of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Repeat this process with the 4-inch cake and then place all of the cakes into the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
While the cakes are chilling, make the fondant Mickey Boos. On a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, roll out the fondant to ¼ inch thickness using a fondant roller or rolling pin. For these, I used most of a 4.4 oz package of white fondant. To cut out the shapes, I used a Mickey ghost shaped cookie cutter from Periwinkles Cutters. You can also create a paper template, lay it on the fondant and then cut around it using a sharp knife. Place the cut out shapes on a piece of wax paper. Draw eyes onto each Mickey Boo using a black food-safe marker.
After the cakes have chilled, bring them back out of the refrigerator and use a clean off-set spatula to smooth the sides of the cakes using small strokes to create a matte feathered texture. If you would prefer your cake to remain shiny and smooth, you can skip this step. Place the 4-inch cake on top and directly in the center of the 6-inch cake. Press the fondant Mickey Boos into the sides of the cake, placing them every few inches.
Now you’re ready to make the marshmallow web. While they are very large, the jumbo marshmallows are super helpful to have for this. I found mine at my local grocery store but I’ve also seen them at Amazon Pantry and Target.
First, place the jumbo marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the marshmallows puff up and lose their shape. Remove from the microwave and stir until they are deflated. This next part is definitely the messiest part of the recipe as you’ll be handling the melted marshmallows with your hands. I recommend using disposable food-safe gloves and I also found it helpful to lightly spray my gloved hands with cooking spray.
Take some of the marshmallow mixture in your hands and stretch it until it’s thin and web-like. Wrap it around the cake to create the spiderwebs. Repeat until the cake is covered. Let the stand until the marshmallow is firm, about 10 minutes.
And then, enjoy this spooktacular cake! Boo to you!
Mickey Boo Spiderweb Cake
Ingredients
Black and White Marble Cake
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup black cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup hot water
Black Cocoa Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup black cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mickey Boos
- 4 oz white fondant
- Mickey ghost shaped cookie cutter or sharp knife
- black food-safe marker
Marshmallow Spiderweb
- 8 jumbo marshmallows
- disposable food-safe gloves
- cooking spray
Equipment
- off-set spatula
- piping bag
- 1 6- cake board
- 1 4-inch round cake pan (3-inches deep)
- 2 6-inch round cake pans (2-inches deep)
- fondant roller or rolling pin
Instructions
Black and White Marble Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and beat until combined.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
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Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 1-1 ½ minutes.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water. Add half of the cake batter to the bowl and beat until combined.
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Scoop spoonfuls of the two batters into each prepared cake pan, varying their placement in the pan. Aim to have equal amounts of vanilla and chocolate batter. Use a knife to swirl the two batters together and make the marble pattern.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
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Cool 10 minutes in the pan before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Black Cocoa Frosting
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Place the melted butter in a medium bowl and whisk in the black cocoa powder.
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Alternately add the powdered sugar and milk and beat until combined and spreadable. Add additional milk if needed.
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Stir in the vanilla extract.
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Transfer frosting to a large piping bag.
Cake Assembly – Part 1
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If desired, wrap your cake board in aluminium foil. Place on top of a cake decorating turntable, overturned bowl or plate.
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Use a serrated knife to trim the top of each cake so that all of the tops are level.
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Place one of the 6-inch cakes, cut side up, on the cake board. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
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Place the second six-inch cake, cut side down, on top of the first cake. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
-
Pipe lines of frosting around the sides of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
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Place the 4-inch cake on an overturned bowl or plate. Pipe frosting on the top of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula. Pipe lines of frosting around the sides of the cake and then smooth into an even layer using the off-set spatula.
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Place the cakes into the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
Mickey Boos
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On a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, roll out the fondant to ¼ inch thickness using a fondant roller or rolling pin.
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Using a Mickey ghost shaped cookie cutter or a paper template and a sharp knife, cut out the Mickey Boo shapes. Place the cut out shapes on a piece of wax paper.
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Draw eyes onto each Mickey Boo using a black food-safe marker. Set aside until ready to decorate.
Cake Assembly – Part 2
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Remove the cakes from the refrigerator. Using a clean off-set spatula, gently smooth the sides of the cakes in small strokes to give the cake a matte feathered texture.
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Place the 4-inch cake on top of the 6-inch cake, directly in the center of the cake.
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Press the Mickey Boos into the side of the cake, placing them every few inches.
Marshmallow Spiderweb
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Place the jumbo marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl.
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Microwave for 30 seconds or until the marshmallows puff and lose their shape.
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Stir until the marshmallows are deflated and let them cool slightly.
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Put on the food-safe gloves and spray your hands lightly with cooking spray.
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Dip your hands into the marshmallow and stretch the marshmallow until it’s thin and web-like.
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Wrap the strands around the cake, repeating until the cake is covered.
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Let stand until the marshmallows are firm, about 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
marshmallow spiderweb adapted from the Food Network