Chef Murph
It is not uncommon for people to have arachnophobia – the fear of spiders. But it’s a pretty good bet your Halloween guests won’t mind having these spiders on their plate. These Devil’s Food Spider Cupcakes are delicious and will even be a hit with those who don’t like spiders.
Devil’s Food Spider Cupcakes – This recipe will make 24 cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cups scalded whole milk
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 chocolate, cream filled, sandwich cookies – separated
- 48 yellow jellybeans
- 48 black pipe cleaners or chenille stems, cut into four pieces
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add cupcake liners or muffin cups to two 12-cup muffin pans. Set these aside as you prepare the cupcake batter.
Place the milk in a saucepan and heat it just to the point of boiling to scald it. Add the cocoa and 1/2 cup sugar to the scalded milk and mix well. Set this aside to cool.
Begin the batter by sifting together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set this aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and the remaining sugar. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is glossy and yellow. Stir in the vanilla. Then add the chocolate mixture to the creamed sugar and butter.
Add the flour, in two batches, into the previous batter ingredients. Mix well to ensure all of the flour is incorporated into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Filling the cups about 2/3 full is best.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
After they are cool, you may frost the cupcake and place one-half of the cookie onto the center of each cupcake. Put frosting on the ends of two jellybeans and place them on the cookie for eyes. Place eight pieces of pipe cleaner – four on each side – into the cupcake for legs.
Even people who hate spiders will set aside their fears for these scrumptious devil’s food spider cupcakes. If you serve them to small children, you will want to use black licorice for the legs to make them safer.
