Description
These Creepy Halloween Spider Cupcakes are delicious chocolate cupcakes infused with pumpkin puree and topped with spooky black buttercream frosting shaped like spiders, perfect for Halloween celebrations and sure to impress with their festive and creepy charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 180 g self raising flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 100 g salted butter
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g pumpkin puree
- 100 ml milk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 450 g powdered sugar
- 225 g salted butter
- 2 tablespoon black cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Black food coloring (optional)
Decoration
- 175 g white fondant
- Tiny green sprinkles (for the spiders’ eyes)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 175°C and line a cupcake pan with muffin liners or cupcake liners.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together self-raising flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Sift the mixture and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a separate bowl, combine sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom halfway through.
- Add eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring they are well incorporated by scraping the bowl’s sides and bottom halfway through mixing.
- Add pumpkin puree: Mix in the pumpkin puree until fully combined. The mixture may curdle slightly, which is normal.
- Incorporate dry ingredients and milk: Gradually fold half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients without overmixing. Add the milk and fold again, then add the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bowl to mix thoroughly.
- Add vanilla extract: Stir in the vanilla extract until well blended.
- Fill cupcake liners: Scoop the batter into the prepared liners, filling each about three-quarters full for even rising.
- Bake: Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without wet batter.
- Cool cupcakes: Let cupcakes rest in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to reach room temperature. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep moist.
- Prepare buttercream: Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and black cocoa powder, mix lightly with a spatula, then beat on medium speed until well combined and creamy. Scrape bowl and beaters as needed.
- Add flavor and color: Beat in vanilla extract. Let frosting rest 10 to 20 minutes for color to intensify. If needed, add black food coloring or a mixture of red, green, and brown gel colors to deepen color, then let rest another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prepare piping bags: Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (#1M). Also prepare two more piping bags with a star tip and a small round tip (#3) if frosting quantity allows.
- Pipe base layer: Using the star-tipped piping bag, pipe reverse star shapes in a circle on top of each cupcake to form the spider web base.
- Prepare fondant circles: Knead fondant until smooth and pliable, roll thin to about ⅛ inch thickness, and cut small circles approximately 2 inches in diameter to cover cupcakes.
- Place fondant on cupcakes: Position each fondant circle in the center of the frosted cupcakes.
- Pipe spider details: Switch the buttercream to the round tip piping bag. Pipe a small circle for the spider’s body, then a smaller circle in front for the head. Pipe four legs on each side.
- Add eyes: Using tweezers, attach two tiny green sprinkles on the spider’s head to create eyes.
Notes
- Scraping the bowl during mixing ensures all ingredients are properly incorporated without unmixed portions.
- Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop with a spring release to keep cupcake sizes consistent.
- If using liners larger or smaller than 5 cm diameter and 3.5 cm height, adjust baking times accordingly.
- Cover cupcakes with a kitchen towel during cooling to maintain moisture and prevent drying out.
- Mixing powdered sugar and cocoa with a spatula before using the mixer helps prevent sugar from flying around.
- Gel-based food coloring is preferred for richer color without affecting frosting texture; a mix of red, green, and brown colors can also be used as an alternative to black food coloring.
- If frosting is too much for one piping bag, divide into two and switch bags as needed during decorating.
- Knead fondant well and lightly dust work surface with icing sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking while rolling.
- Adjust fondant circle size based on cupcake size for best coverage.
- Store cupcakes in an air-conditioned room to keep fondant from turning soggy; avoid refrigeration to prevent condensation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
