Spiced Spider Cupcakes

These creepy cupcakes start with a homemade spice cake topped with cream cheese frosting. They're decorated with a black gel 'web' complete with gumdrop spiders.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 403 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• ⅔ cup canola oil
• 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (.68 oz. tube) black decorating gel
• 5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more as needed
• 24 large spiced gumdrops
• black shoestring licorice

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Step 2

Combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in bowl; whisk to mix. In separate bowl, mix water, canola oil, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Pour liquids into dry mixture and stir until smooth. The batter will be very thin.

Step 3

Transfer batter into a measuring cup or pitcher; pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.

Step 4

Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when gently pressed with a fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 5

Beat cream cheese, butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar until frosting is creamy and spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Step 6

To decorate cupcakes, use black decorating gel to draw a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Draw a larger circle around the first, and continue making larger circles until the last circle is about 1/4 inch from the edge. There should be about 5 rings on each cupcake. Use a toothpick to draw about 8 lines radiating from the center of the cupcake to the edge, like spokes on a wheel, to make webs.

Step 7

Cut the licorice strings into pieces about 1 1/4 inch long for legs. Poke four licorice legs into both sides of each gumdrop. Use decorating gel to make eyes and a smiley mouth on each gumdrop. Place a gumdrop spider onto each cupcake in the center of the webs.