Vampire Bat Chocolate Cake

As it's half term and Halloween is approaching, I thought this would be a good one for both kids and adults. It's quite easy to make and the kids enjoy decorating it.

 

Recipe
Serves 8

Ingredients
100g soft margarine

75g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
100g self-raising flour
4 tbsp drinking chocolate powder

Decoration
125ml double cream
4 tbsp strawberry jam
55g milk chocolate, melted

• Preheat oven to 170c or gas mark 3. Grease and line the base of 2 x 18cm cake tins with baking paper.
• Whisk together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time. 
• Sift in the flour and drinking chocolate powder and fold in using a metal spoon.
• Divide between the cake tins, level and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
• For the wings, head and ears use a 6cm plain cutter to cut out 3 circles from the edge down the centre of one cake. Whip the cream. Put the strawberry jam in a bowl and stir until softened. Sandwich 2 of the circles with some jam and cream to make the head. Spread the rest of the jam over the sponge; add the rest of the cream. Place head and wings on the other sponge. Halve the final circle for the ears.
• Spread the melted chocolate over the wings, ears and head. Drag lines on the wings with a skewer. Use jam for the eyes and cream for the nose and mouth.