Halloween Spider Cake

I loved this cute Halloween spider cake when I saw it on Pinterest and so today I decided to try making it. I variated it slightly from the original recipe in that I used a cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch. The cake calls for 20 oreo cookies cut into fourths, folded into your cake batter. The cake came flatter than normal and I'm not sure if it's because of the oreos being added or if it would have anyway for some reason, but it didn't really matter in the final cake because you cut each cake in half (through the cake) so it ended up being four layers with the whipped cream between so ended up plenty high enough anyway.
While the cake was in the oven baking I prepared the Oreo spiders, minus the legs. I believe the original cake called for only mini oreo spiders but because I had plenty of the original size Oreos left I decided to make big and little spiders for the cake.  For the big spiders I simply frosting glued purchased edible Wilton eyes to the Oreos, and for the small oreos I used white frosting with a dab of black sparkle tube frosting in the middle.
At this point I also prepared the crushed Oreos that get folded into the whipped cream. Remove the filling from 12 original size Oreos and put them into a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or hammer to crush them.
Once the cake was cooled and cut into the four layers, I whipped my cream for the filling and frosting. Two pints (one quart! total!) of heavy whipping cream, 3/4 cup of sugar, beat 4-5 minutes (for me it took the full five) and then, once it's whipped I added the 12 original size crushed oreos with filling removed, folded that in, and started putting the filling between the layers. Once the layers were stacked with filling between each layer I frosted the entire cake, starting with the sides and ending with the top. I put it back into the refrigerator for a little while to get it nice and cool as it is real whip cream and I wasn't sure how long it would take me to put the spiders onto the cake and didn't want the cream getting warm and start to fall.
The spiders were simple as pie. I just placed the oreos on to the cake, trying to leave room between the cookies for the spiders legs, and then once all the cookies were placed I took the tube of sparkly black (by the way thankfully it is not licorice flavor!) and made legs on the spiders. I originally only put six legs on each spider then realized later that spiders have eight legs! I added two legs to each of the big spiders and a few of the small ones, but many of the small spiders on my cake only have six legs. So if you want your spiders to be anatomically correct remember, they have eight legs.

Want the recipe?
One cake mix of your choosing, prepared according to package ( I used Pillsbury white cake mix)

24 original size Oreo cookies
several mini oreos for spiders

Two pints (one quart) whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar

Either packaged edible eyes or white and black or chocolate frosting for eyes.

Make the cake batter according to package directions. Fold in  12 quartered original size Oreos (with cream inside), then bake in two round prepared cake pans. Cool in pans then transfer to rack to cool completely. Cut in half with serrated knife ( I tried a string it didn't work for me because of the chopped cookies in the cake).
Remove filling from 12 original size Oreos, crush oreos for using later in whip cream.
Attach spider eyes to however many large and small Oreo spiders you plan to add to your cake. You can use edible eyes attached to the cookie with a bit of frosting or you can use white and black or chocolate frosting in tubes to create your own eyes, or white frosting with a mini chocolate chip in the middle?

Beat your quart of whipping cream with 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the crushed Oreos.
Build your cake with the Oreo whipped cream between each layer. Frost sides and top of cake with the whipped cream. Add your cookies with eyes already attached, then add your spider legs with chocolate or black tube icing.

Now you have a great Halloween cake that everyone will oooh, ahhh, and perhaps shudder over! And it's probably not quite as sweet as some because it has whipped cream instead of sweet frosting.

See a photo of the ingredients I used.