Rich, moist cupcakes topped with a fluffy chocolate frosting, these Spider Cupcakes are not only cute but also easy to make. Perfect for Halloween parties.
PretzelsI used Thin Twists, they are larger than normal pretzels
Candy eye balls
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
Roughly chop the bittersweet chocolate baking bar into smaller pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir and repeat until melted. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs and cooled chocolate, beat again for 30 seconds.
Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on high for 3 minutes.
Sift in the cocoa powder and 3 cups of powdered sugar. I like to sift these in because it helps break up clumps, creating a light and fluffy frosting. Beat the frosting on low speed until combined and thick.
Mix in 3 tbsp of heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt.
Add in the additional powdered sugar (1-2 cups), mix on low. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an additional tablespoon of heavy cream.
Assemble the Cupcakes
Spread a dollop of frosting on each cupcake, smooth with a spatula.
Dump the brown jimmie sprinkles in a bowl. Turn the cupcake upside down in the bowl and lightly press the frosting into the sprinkles to get them to stick.
Break pretzels apart and press 4 legs into each side of the cupcake, adding 8 legs total.
Use a small amount of frosting to attach the candy eye balls to the cupcake.
Video
Notes
I used "thin twist" pretzels. They are basically a larger version of regular pretzels. I liked using the larger version because the pretzels were long enough that the spider legs came to the bottom of the liners.