Description
Spider Bites Mini Cupcakes are adorable and delicious mini treats perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion. These moist cocoa cupcakes are topped with creamy tinted buttercream piped as spider bodies, decorated with candy-coated espresso bean heads and delicate sugar-dusted legs for a fun and festive look that’s as tasty as it is cute.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Buttercream
- 1 cup (two sticks) butter, room temperature
- 1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
Decorations
- Vanilla candy coating (melted, for dipping cupcake tops and as glue)
- White sanding sugar
- Purple or green gel icing color (for tinting majority of buttercream)
- Black gel icing color (for tinting remaining buttercream)
- Dark chocolate covered espresso beans (for spider heads)
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a mini cupcake pan with 24 miniature baking cups. Sift the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Add the egg and mix to combine, then add buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition. Slowly pour in hot water while mixing until smooth and fully combined.
- Bake Cupcakes: Using a small scoop, fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
- Make Buttercream: Beat the softened butter on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until light and creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time, starting on low speed and increasing to incorporate fully. Mix in vanilla extract. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream reaches a thick consistency suitable for piping the spider bodies. Reserve some buttercream for the legs and tint the majority with purple or green gel color.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the melted vanilla candy coating and let dry completely to form a smooth, glossy shell. Using an Ateco #808 decorating tip, pipe large oval dollops of the tinted buttercream onto the top and sides of each cupcake to form spider bodies. Gently dip each piped buttercream body into white sanding sugar to create a textured, rounded shape.
- Add Spider Heads: Attach dark chocolate covered espresso beans to the front of each buttercream spider body to serve as spider heads. Use a small dab of melted vanilla candy coating to glue the beans securely in place.
- Pipe Spider Legs: Tint the remaining buttercream black. Using a Wilton #2 decorating tip, pipe 8 thin legs onto each cupcake around the spider bodies to complete the spider design.
- Serve and Enjoy: Let any remaining decorations set, then serve your Spider Bites Mini Cupcakes and enjoy the spooky sweetness!
Notes
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before dipping in candy coating to prevent melting.
- Adjust milk quantity in buttercream to achieve the consistency needed for piping; thicker for bodies, more fluid for legs.
- Use gel colors sparingly to achieve the desired vibrant shades without thinning the buttercream.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- If desired, substitute espresso beans with black candy pieces for a caffeine-free version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cupcake
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
