More Halloween Treats for the Children….
Spooky Spider Cakes
for a
Howling Halloween!
Number two in my Halloween treats for the children, these spooky spider cakes can be made at the same time as my Hooting Owl Cupcakes, but are decorated differently……they are still easy to make though, and just as much fun.
I JUST love these little spider cakes, every time I make them, their faces make me laugh ~ well, I am easily pleased! Furthermore, they are delicious ~ they taste much better than NORMAL spiders I find, as normal spider’s legs are a little too chewy……..
The cake mixture is a double chocolate cake mixture – with cocoa and chocolate pieces, topped off with a chocolate butter cream. The decorations are made using Liquorice All sorts and liquorice strings/laces or Catherine wheels as we call them in Great Britain. They are easy to make and can be frozen before you decorate them.
I hope you find the step-by-step photos handy when you come to bake and decorate them. An idea we had for an adult Halloween party was to turn the spiders upside down so they have their legs in the air, and scatter wine corks amongst them on a plate……..Great idea eh?? If you fancy some wise companions for these spooky spiders, try my Hooting Owl Cupcakes.
NB: I am travelling back to the UK today, so I will not be around until tomorrow to reply to your tweets and comments…..but I will be back then with more recipes, tall tales, ramblings and photos to share with you all ~ have laptop, will travel and blog! See you very soon, I am looking forward to my train journey back, TGV to Lille and then Eurostar to St Pancras….
Karen
(This recipe was originally published in Good Food Magazine ~ I tweaked it slightly!)
Spooky Spider Cakes
for a
Howling Halloween
Ingredients:
Spider Cakes:
- 200g butter, softened and room temperature
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 200g self raising flour
- 50g cocoa, NOT drinking chocolate
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 -4 tablespoons milk
- 100g chocolate chips, or 4 ounces chopped chocolate
- paper cupcake liners, cases preferably brown (optional)
Butter cream Icing & Decoration:
- 100g softened butter
- 100g icing sugar
- 25g cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 -2 tablespoon milk
- liquorice allsorts, sweets (Liquorice Catherine wheels, shoe strings, boot laces etc for the legs.) or candies, for the eyes and the mouth (Liquorice Catherine wheels, shoe strings, boot laces etc for the legs.)
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/360°F.
- This is a VERY easy all in one mix; simply put the softened butter into a large mixing bowl with the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on slow with a hand mixer, incorporating all the dry ingredients gradually into the butter and eggs. Increase the speed to medium and then to high. Stop and add the milk, tablespoon-by-tablespoon, whisking in between each spoon until you have a smooth, silky mixture with no lumps. Add the chocolate chips or chocolate pieces and mix well.
- Spoon the mixture into well-greased muffin tins, or tins lined with muffin cases – I do not use cases as a rule!
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well risen – check with a wooden cocktail stick by pushing it in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then gently run a knife around the sides to release the cakes – or take the cakes out if they are in muffin cases. Put them on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
- Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the butter cream icing. Put the softened butter and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly by hand with a fork. Add the vanilla extract and mix again before adding the cocoa powder – mix all the ingredients together and then add the milk if you need to loosen the mixture for spreading. The butter cream icing should be soft and silky – but should still hold its shape.
- When you are ready to decorate the spider cakes, cut the liquorice Catherine wheels into “legs” that just dangle over the edge of the cake – mine were about 2″ in length. Take the liquorice allsorts sweets/candy that have a white inside and a liquorice exterior – see photos – gently make a hole in the centre with a cocktail stick and push in a small sliver of liquorice to make the eyes. Choose a red or orange liquorice allsorts sweet/candy, which is layered – see photo – and cut each sweet/candy into 4 pieces for the mouth.
- Gently push the legs into the top of the cake at intervals – the icing will go over the top to keep them in place later, so do not worry how they look! You need 8 legs per spider – of course! Spoon on some chocolate butter cream icing to cover the legs and come within 1/2″ of the edge – make it look “hairy” by stippling with a fork. Then place two eyes in the top, finishing off with a mouth! Continue to decorate all the cakes in this way, place them all on a plate with some extra sweets/candy scattered around them, and watch the looks of delight on the children’s faces when they see them!
A Trifle Rushed says
Safe journey to England. I just love the spiders! We will be making these very soon.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
Adorable! Love them. Safe journey home x
Mitinita says
Could I send the littles over? I wish liquorice was available,so many cool things to do with it.Safe journey to England.
Kentish Keg-Meg says
What fun these spiders look to make. Have a safe and enjoyable journey.
La Table De Nana says
You are having fun:) Are you licking your fingers a lot?:)
smellslikesalad says
I like the owl!
Heavenly Housewife says
Kids must go crazy for these, what fun!!!
*kisses* HH
Annie says
Just love these!
Safe journey Karen x
thelittleloaf says
Cute! I think I love these even more than the owls! 🙂
Baking Addict says
Great spiders! I think I still prefer the owls 🙂 Love the step by step photos – not sure if I'll have time to make these as well. Hope you had a good trip!
PS Tesco has a buy 1 get 1 free offer on liquorice all sorts at the moment if anyone wants to make these.
Choclette says
So cute, but more of a cross between R2D2 and ET – in my warped mind at least 😉
Bon voyage
Jacqueline says
I definitely prefer the owls. The spiders are way too scary for me and as for the chewy normals spiders comment, well that nearly finished me off. Eughhh!
Camilla @Fabfood4all says
They put a smile on my face too, not sure if they’re friendly or creepy, the jury’s still out!
Karen says
Glad they put a smile on your face too Camilla, think they may be feaky, half friendly and half creepy! Lol! Karen
ashleigh says
my kids would love these!
anthony harrington says
very cute! never though I would say that about our 8 legged friends!
Andrew Petrie says
My friends put something very close to this out last year and they went down a treat
Rebecca Phillips says
these are awesome! saving this for when my boys a bit older
Andrew Petrie says
shared on facebook.Andrew Petrie
Clare Webb says
https://twitter.com/mrs_jacksparrow/status/310145663696523265 sharing again 🙂
Tracy Nixon says
I think I will bake these with my kids but adapt them to make birds for Summer!