Spider nest cakes

• softened butter175g g
• golden caster sugar↗175g g
• large eggs↗2
• self-raising flour↗200g g
• vanilla extract↗1 tsp tsp
• milk↗100ml ml
• hundreds and thousands↗100g g
• little icing sugar↗
• candy floss↗

  (we used Hope and Greenwood's from Ocado)

• plastic spiders12 12

  (or make your own from giant chocolate buttons and black liquorice laces)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C fan/gas 4. Line a muffin tin with 15 paper cases (bake a second batch of the extra 3 if you only have a 12‑hole tin). Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, then the flour, vanilla and milk in that order, beating each addition. Quickly fold in the hundreds & thousands with minimal mixing, then divide the batter among the cases – the more you stir, the more the sprinkles will bleed colour, so work quickly and efficiently. Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool.

2. 2

   Remove the paper cases and turn the cakes upside down. Cover with cling film until just before serving.

3. 3

   Just before the party, mix a splash of water into sifted icing sugar and pipe a generous dollop onto the top of each cake. Gently place some candy floss on each – the less you handle it, the less it will disintegrate. Add a toy spider to each, or make your own – attach four long licorice laces to the back of large chocolate buttons with extra runny icing, flip over and let set.