This fun cupcake recipe is perfect for Halloween parties. Using the scary spider as the inspiration, these blackcurrant and liquorice spider cupcakes are topped with a cute homemade spider with liquorice legs atop of a delicious blackcurrant cupcake.
Boo!
Halloween is just around the corner bringing with it all the fun of ghosts and ghouls, goblins & witches, mummies and vampires .... and let's not forget about all of the creative yummy food to be had at Halloween parties too!
In fact, for many, Halloween marks the start of such a delicious time of year where food is concerned.
Soon after Halloween we have bonfire night with treats like treacle toffee & gingerbread cakes. Then there's the exciting (though often manic) run up to Christmas and the new year when tables groan under the weight of festive foods from Christmas Cakes and trifles like this freestanding raspberry & glitter trifle which would be a perfect centrepiece, to mince pies and stollen. The list is endless!
Back to our Halloween cupcake recipe!
These blackcurrant and liquorice cupcakes are seriously delicious being packed with blackcurrant flavour courtesy of a lovely jam.
Not only are they fille was a spoonful of jam hidden in the centre of the cupcakes after they were baked, some jam was incorporated into the batter too which not only brought such a wonderful fresh flavour to the sponge but was also a really good pairing with the liquorice of the spider's 'legs'!
Of course, it's fair to say that by adding a spoonful of jam to the cake batter the refined sugar content is increased (because as we all know jam contains such a large amount of sugar), but fear not because balance is restored by reducing the amount of weighed sugar used in the sponge batter of this recipe!
These fun Halloween cupcakes are easy to make. They're simply a cupcake filled with some blackcurrant jam, topped with a buttercream frosting and decorated with a homemade edible spider consisting of liquorice and a chocolate body! They're perfect for either a Halloween party or for those who venture out trick or treating - they're sure to delight!
Even if you're not a fan of spiders, just like me, I'm sure you'll smile at these fun Halloween spider cupcakes with their liquorice legs and chocolate bodies! In fact, I think you might even see our chocolate spider smiling back at you!
So, here's how to make Blackcurrant & Liquorice Halloween Spider Cupcakes!
Blackcurrant & Liquorice Halloween Spider Cupcakes
Ingredients
for the cupcakes
- 125 g butter (4oz) softened
- 125 g golden caster sugar (4oz)
- 1 tbsp blackcurrant jam
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 125 g self-raising flour (4oz)
For the Filling
- 2 tbsp blackcurrant jam
for the buttercream
- 200 g butter (7oz) softened
- 400 g icing sugar (14oz)
- milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Edible Spiders
- liquorice ‘boot laces’ for the legs (see note b below)
- 8 chocolate discs for the body (see note c below)
- red fondant for the eyes see note d below
Special Equipment
- muffin tin
- 8 dark muffin cases
- piping bag
- large star nozzle
Instructions
To make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 190℃ / Fan 170℃ / 375℉ / Gas Place 8 muffin cases into the muffin tray.
- Beat 125g (4obutter and 125g (4ocaster sugar together until very pale and fluffy. Add 1tbsp jam and beat again to combine.
- Gradually add 2 beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Sieve the flour into the bowl and gently fold in.
- Divide the cake mixture equally between the muffin cases so that they are about half to two-thirds full.Bake in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Rotate the tray after 15 minutes to ensure and even rise.
- Remove a small plug of the cake from the centre of each cupcake using a small paring knife or a large metal piping nozzle. Set the sponge plug aside. Use the tines of a fork to gently remove a little more sponge if necessary.
- Spoon 2 tbsp of jam into a bowl and stir to slacken it then spoon a little into the hollow on each cupcake. Trim away a little of the sponge from the base of the sponge ‘plug’ and replace crust side upper most to cover the jam.
Make the butter cream
- Beat 200g (7obutter until soft and creamy. Sieve 200g (7oof the icing sugar into the bowl. Beat to combine, then sieve in another 200g (7oof icing sugar into the bowl. Beat well to create a creamy frosting. Add the vanilla extract mix until well combined. Add a drizzle of milk if necessary until it is soft enough to pipe.
- Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe a flat swirl of frosting on top of each cake.
To complete
- Cut the liquorice ‘bootlaces’ into about 6cm (2½ ipieces. Position 8 liquorice strips on top of the frosting, 4 on each side so that they dangle down the side of the cupcake a little. The top of the liquorice ‘legs’ will meet in the centre.
- Apply a small amount of buttercream to the underside of the chocolate disc and position on top of the liquorice.
- Roll 16 very small balls of red fondant and press them on the chocolate disc to form eyes (you may need a tiny amount of water to do that).Enjoy!
Notes
Store
Up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.Cooks Tips
- For tips on how to prevent curdling and sucessful cupcakread this post.
- If you’re unable to source any liquorice ‘bootlaces,’ you could try ‘Catherine wheels’. Once each strip of liquorice is cut to length for the legs use a pair of scissors or a sharp knife to cut them in half lengthways.
- for the chocolate discs, sandwiched together two large chocolate buttons with a little melted chocolate to create the ‘body’ of our spider Alternatively, use an alternative chocolate disc such as Minstrels
No time to make it now – Pin for later
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# CookBlogShare hosted on Recipes Made Easy
Helen - Cooking with my kids
I love baking at Halloween - there are so many fun ideas. My kids would love these!
Donna
These look yummy, the kids would love them!
Kate Glutenfreealchemist
I love these Angela. So simple, but so effective. Definitely on the cute scale xx
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Haha, they do have a bit of a cute rather than scary feel to them dont they 😀 lol
Angela x
Kat BakingExplorer
Your cupcakes look fabulously creepy and perfect fun for Halloween! Thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thankyou Kat 🙂
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
Oh Angela, I love these cupcakes! I know the kids would too. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thankyou Kirsty 🙂
Angela x
Recipes Made Easy
Oh these are such fun and easy too . Photographed beautifully too agree with Jenny you should share your secrets.
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
They're super easy aren't they 🙂 Hahaha, 'secrets' tbh it's more like a lot of luck!
Angela
Corina Blum
I love these Angela and they would be a great treat for the children during half term! It's a great idea to use liquorice for the spider's legs and the jam in the middle sounds delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
it definitely would be a fun afternoon bake over the half term hol Corina! They had to be liquorice in my mind - but sadly hubby didn't share my love of the liquorice legs and pulled them off ;-D
Angela x
Johanna GGG
very cute - I am thinking of some halloween bakes to do this year and still not sure but I do love the elegance of your spiders legs
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thankyou Johanna, those black liquorice legs are so long and slender aren't they ... infact I'd be very happy if my own legs took after them a little lol! 😉
Angela x
Jenny-Apply to Face blog
Great idea Angela.Perfect for a Halloween Tea.Love your pics too.You should blog about food photography as well as baking.I would love to learn how you do it.They really do stand out xx
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thankyou so much Jenny on both fronts. That's so kind of you to say about my pics - they have seriously improved to what they were like in the early days, though tbh I completely know that I still have a lot to learn 🙂
Angela x
Jo / Jo's Kitchen Larder
I love a jammy cupcake and the one with super cute and delicious spider on top is definitely a winner 🙂 My boys will absolutely love these! Something to do next week during their half term break. Pinned! xx
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
You and me both Jo, they really are such a treat with that extra bit of interest in the centre of the sponge. Aw, do share a pic of your creative baking if you get chance to bake them with your boys 😀
Angela x