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Chocolate Spider Cake

Heather, Sprinkle Bakes

Serve this eye-catching chocolate spider cake at your Halloween party, and it will double as your table’s centerpiece! Chocolate sprinkles give this spider a “hairy” appearance, and chocolate sticks make for the creepiest-looking spider legs. Chocolate sticks and candy eyeballs can be found at kitchen specialty stores and online. If you can’t easily locate chocolate sticks, then Japanese chocolate-covered biscuit sticks will work well and can be found at most American grocery stores and international markets.
1 hr 30 min Prep Time
50 min Cook Time
  • Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min
  • Cook Time: 50 min
  • Servings: 8-10 servings

Servings: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • For the Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

  • For the Spider Cake:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 8 candy eyeballs
  • 1 cup chocolate sprinkles
  • 16 chocolate sticks, or chocolate-covered biscuit sticks

Instructions

For the Chocolate Frosting:

Step 1

Combine heavy cream and chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 45 seconds; stir. Return to microwave and heat again for 20 seconds. Let mixture stand for 2 minutes then whisk together until smooth. Place in refrigerator to firm to spreading consistency, about 1 hour.

For the Spider Cake:

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 3

Combine first six ingredients in bowl and whisk together. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat on low until combined. Scrape down bowl and add egg; beat again until well incorporated.

Step 4

Line cupcake tin with one paper liner and fill it 2/3 full of batter. Grease and flour 2 1/2 quart ovenproof bowl (can use stainless steel) and pour remaining batter into bowl. Bake cupcake for 12-15 minutes, or until center springs back with pressed. Bake cake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick tester comes out clean.

Step 5

Allow cupcake and cake to cool on wire rack.

Step 6

Place chocolate sprinkles in bowl. Cut cupcake in half and cover top portion with chocolate frosting (discard or eat the other half of the cupcake!). Place 8 candy eyeballs on top of frosting. Use spoon to cover cupcake with chocolate sprinkles; gently shake off excess and set aside.

Step 7

Place cake on large serving platter. Cover bowl-shaped cake with chocolate frosting and then cover frosting with chocolate sprinkles. Use frosting on back side of cupcake (spider head) to attach it to round cake.

Step 8

Gently insert three chocolate sticks standing upright on either side of spider body. Use leftover frosting to attach additional chocolate stick onto each upright chocolate stick, creating segmented spider legs. Insert two short chocolate stick “legs” on either side of spider head. Use frosting to attach two additional short chocolate sticks to legs, creating segmented front legs.

Step 9

Slice and serve, but only once your guests have seen the “spooky” finished cake!