Spiderweb Cupcakes

Spiderweb cupcakes are an easy Halloween dessert recipe that is fun to make, and the cupcakes are delicious, too! I’m joining up with some of my favorite bloggers again this year to bring you some fabulous Halloween recipes.

My Halloween Cupcakes are super simple and sure to please the goblins at your house! Thanks to the generous folks at Dixie Crystals for providing sugar for this post.

Easy Spiderweb Cupcakes

I had some extra cake batter after baking up Katie’s birthday cake, so I spooned it  into my cupcake tins. I had toyed with making a spiderweb pattern on top of an iced cupcake for Halloween, so thought I’d practice on this batch.

I first iced them with a simple buttercream of powdered sugar, butter, and milk. Bill was sneaking tastes when he got home from work. Even without vanilla (which could muddy the white background), he found it hard to resist! The more challenging part was the webs. I am less than savvy when it comes to piping icing!

Piping Spider Webs

I had the basic plan of action in mind. I’d pipe 3 concentric circles atop each cupcake, then pull a toothpick through the icing, from the middle to the edges to make a spiderweb design. Now the tricky part was to do this fast enough so the chocolate remained pliable.

The white icing must not sit long either or a sugar crust will develop and hinder the process as well. It sounds simple, it IS simple, but if you’re not used to working with a piping bag, it does take some practice. I had a few not so perfect practice cupcakes, but my family still ate every single one!

Search for #TheHalloweenProject on social media for the next 2 weeks to see the creative Halloween recipes my talented blogger friends are sharing.  Plus, for another Halloween cupcake,  check out my Chocolate Mummy Cupcakes! They’re pretty darn cute.

To make these delicious spiderweb cupcakes, you may need:

• OXO Offset Spatula
• 12-Cup Muffin Pan

Kitchen Tip:

Instead of buying a quart of buttermilk for the 1/2 cup needed in the cupcake recipe, you can make an easy substitute at home. For each cup of buttermilk you need, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add milk up to the one cup mark, stir and allow the mixture to thicken slightly. Voila, it’s ready to use. For a half cup, just use 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar and fill to the 1/2 cup mark.

More Halloween Treats:

• Spiderweb Cookie Cake
• Candy Corn Cupcakes
• 20+ Halloween Treats
• Bloody Creme Brulee
• More of the Best Holiday Recipes

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The Recipe:

Spiderweb Cupcakes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Yield 12

Cupcakes decked out for Halloween with a spiderweb topping!

Ingredients

Cocoa Cupcakes:

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup milk

Web:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of shortening

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set it aside.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thin.
4. Fill each liner ⅔-¾ full with batter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in tins, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. When the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting.
7. Beat together powdered sugar and butter at low speed using a hand mixer. When combined, slowly drizzle in enough milk till you have a good, spreading consistency. Set aside.
8. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the shortening, stopping to stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Place in a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip with a small round opening.
9. Using an offset spatula or another pastry bag, frost a cupcake with the white frosting, then immediately pipe 3 concentric circles over the top with the melted chocolate.
10. Using a toothpick, start at the center of the cupcake and run it through the chocolate to the edge repeating till you make 5-6 swipes. Continue decorating one cupcake at a time.

Notes

If the chocolate ever gets too thick, place the piping bag into a zip top bag and place it into a bowl of very hot water to thin the mixture.If you'd rather use a zip top bag to pipe your web, cut a very small hole in one corner to pipe.

*To make 1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (or neutral-flavored vinegar) into 1/2 cup milk. Stir and let rest for a few minutes before using.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cupcake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 48gProtein: 2g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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