Halloween Trick or Treat Chocolate Piñata Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4). Grease and line two 8” circular cake tins.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one by one, mixing in between. 

Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in. 

In a separate small bowl mix together the cocoa powder and boiling water to a paste then add to the mixture, stirring to combine. Add the food colouring powder and mix well until fully combined. 

Carefully pour into the 3 prepared tins in equal measures. Bake the sponges in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake. Leave the sponges to cool on a wire rack. Repeat this process again with the remaining batter.

Once fully cooled, carefully cut out a large circle from the centre of three of the sponges using a pastry cutter, these will become the bottom and middle sponges.

Place the bottom base on a cake board or cake stand that you want to present your cake on (it will be difficult to move once filled).

To make your buttercream, beat together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter (you may need to add a splash of milk to loosen up).

Split the buttercream in to 2 bowls - in one bowl, add some black food colouring powder and stir to combine (add it little by little until you get the colour you desire - you may need to add a splash of milk to loosen it up).

Using the white buttercream, spread a thin layer of buttercream on the bottom layer of your cake (not covering the hole) and place the second layer on top. 

Fill the hole in the centre with the edible sugar eyes. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top of the sponge and repeat with the 3rd layer. Place the last full sponge layer (without a hole) on top to seal in the sweets. 

With the remaining white buttercream, spread is generously on the outside of the cake using a palette knife.

Roll out the black sugar paste until it's approximately 4mm thick. Carefully drape the sugarpaste over your cake and gently smooth it to get a clean finish. 

Spray the sugarpaste with the Sugarflair Edible Pump Spray in Black until you get a beautiful shimmer. To get a more intense glittery finish, brush on some of the edible glitter. 

Finish off the cake with pipings of the black buttercream on the top and bottom.