How to Make Spider Web Cupcakes

Fall

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These spider web cupcakes are a must for Halloween! You can make them with any flavor of cake and frosting to match. They’re perfect as an individual treat or in a batch as part of your Halloween party spread.

The Most Delicious Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe

Now here is the thing – these are DIFFERENT from a lot of the spider web cucpakes out there in recipe land. It is all in the cupcake topper and cute candy spider that we make to keep it company.

Why spider web cupcakes?

First of all, they’re perfect for Halloween – that is just a given, right? You can make them with any flavor of cake and frosting to match. We love two combos here: Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. We chose the former for this recipe.

Now, you can make these ANY time of the year, especially if you want to dig a little more into spiders. After all, they say you are never more than 6 feet away from a spider, at all times!

They really are fascinating little critters.

Fairytale Inspired Spiderweb Cupcakes

I am not exactly thinking about Little Miss Muffet but more like how these would make for such a great treat to have when reading even Charlotte’s Web to the kids.

It would also make for a great addition to any unit study on spiders – like these that I found:

Have the kids help you with this too – they can make the cupcakes, make the spiders, assemble the cupcakes — even try their hand at the webs!

Kids learn SO MUCH in the kitchen! Just check out this article that tells you more on that: 7 Ways Kids Learn From Cooking

Spider Web Cupcake Topper

These are pretty simple to make – the details are all in the topper. It takes a little bit of time but really makes the difference. They will totally stand out over the spider web cupcakes where the webs are simply etched into the frosting.

You are going to need to print off my spider web template for these.

spider-web-templates Download

Chocolate Spider Webs ingredients

1 C of Ghirardelli melting chocolate chips
1 disposable piping bag
1 cookie sheet
1 sheet of either waxed paper or parchment paper

How to make chocolate spider webs

Put my template under a sheet of either waxed paper or parchment paper. Melt chocolate until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into the piping bag. Cut the tip of the piping bag. Pipe out a line and trace the web designs on the template. Place into the fridge overnight.

Fondant candy spiders

NOW, it is time to make the spiders! The candy spiders are optional but they look so cute on top!

Can you make your own fondant? Absolutely!

With only 4-5 ingredients, and in about 15 minutes, you can make a great version that is easier to work with than what you buy at the store.

Making homemade fondant with marshmallows is easy — so easy, in fact, you can do it in the microwave with just four ingredients!

You will need:

1 4oz package of black fondant or the above recipe tinted black…with black candy melts and gel coloring.
1 black cookie icing

How to make candy spiders

Pinch off different sizes of fondant balls. Make sure they are no bigger than 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp in size. Roll that fondant into balls. Dip your finger lightly into the water and rub your finger onto the backside of the small ball. That is going to act like “glue” and connect them when you place the larger ball to connect it to the small one.

Place your little spiders onto a cookie sheet, making sure they are still connected. The water will continue to act as glue while the fondant dries overnight.

Repeat steps to make 11 more spider bodies.

Chocolate Spider Web Cupcake Recipe

Yes, you can make these chocolate cupcakes from scratch – and do only a small batch. You could use any boxed mix instead, should you so choose to, like I did. Even the frosting colors and flavor can be altered, but I suggest sticking with a light color to make your chocolate webs and cute candy spiders really stick out.

How small a batch does this cupcake recipe make? This recipe will make 12 Spider Web Cupcakes – that are ready to decorate as soon as they are cool.

Spider Web Cupcake Ingredients

1 box of Triple chocolate cake mix
3 large eggs room temp
1/2 C of softened unsalted sweet cream butter
1 C whole milk
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
cupcake liners
cupcake pan

Directions

Just so you know – you are NOT going to follow the instructions on the back of the box. We are tweaking that boxed cake mix to make it yummi-fied.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with the black cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, add the cake mix, butter, milk, and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes. Pull out the cupcakes and allow them to cool before frosting.

Simple Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
2 1/2 C powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream
1 disposable piping bag with a star tip

How to make frosting

Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed. Mix until you see stiffed peaks in your frosting. Mix in a few drops of the green food coloring and continue to mix until fully combined. Scoop frosting into piping bag. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Spider Web Cupcakes Decorating Directions:

Frost the cooled cupcakes by piping it onto the top of the cooled chocolate cupcake bases. Carefully peel the chocolate web off of the parchment or waxed paper and place into the frosting.

Place a spider body in front of the web. Using the icing, pipe out legs. Allow icing to harden for 10 minutes

Just look at them! Aren’t they just so stinkin’ cute?

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Dannelle

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