Description
These Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes are a spooky and delicious treat perfect for Halloween parties. Moist dark chocolate cupcakes are enhanced with black food coloring for a greyish tint, topped with fluffy marshmallow buttercream frosting, and decorated with dramatic black candy melts and sticky marshmallow spider webs, complete with plastic spider rings for added creepiness. Fun to make and impressive to serve, these cupcakes combine rich chocolate flavors with creative decoration for a festive dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 dark chocolate cake mix
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 large eggs
- Black food coloring (small amount)
- 24 black cupcake liners
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but not to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 jar marshmallow fluff (7 oz)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Decorations
- 1 package black candy melts (12 oz)
- 1 package miniature marshmallows (16 oz)
- 1 package black candy pearls
- 24 plastic spider rings
Instructions
- Bake the Cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line muffin cups with black cupcake liners. In a mixer bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add a small amount of black food coloring and mix well until the mixture turns grey. Add the dark chocolate cake mix and cocoa powder, then mix until just combined. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Prepare the Frosting: Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract and marshmallow fluff, then beat the mixture until smooth and well combined. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M star tip and pipe an even swirl over each cooled cupcake.
- Add Spider Webs with Black Candy Melts: Melt the black candy melts according to package instructions. Dip each frosted cupcake so that about half to two-thirds of the buttercream is covered. Allow to cool and set completely. Melt about 1 cup of mini marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds without stirring. Wearing gloves to avoid stickiness, stretch two marshmallows into thin strands and arrange them on top of each cupcake to form spider webs. Cut the rings off the plastic spider rings with scissors and place the spiders onto each cupcake. Finally, decorate with black candy pearls as spider eggs on the webs.
- Add Spider Webs without Black Candy Melts: Alternatively, if you prefer to skip the candy melts, stretch mini marshmallows into strands with gloves and place them directly on top of the frosted cupcakes to create spider webs. Cut the rings off the plastic spider rings and place the spiders on each cupcake. Then add black candy pearls to the frosting and spider webs for added decorative effect.
Notes
- No matter how clean or messy your spider webs look, the cupcakes will look great and messy webs add to the creepy Halloween effect.
- Use gloves when handling melted marshmallows to avoid stickiness on your hands.
- Allow the black candy melts to fully cool and set before adding marshmallow webs to prevent melting.
- These cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated for optimum freshness and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
