Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (177ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 ounces (113g) dark chocolate chips
  • Optional: A small amount of vegetable shortening
  • Sugar spiders (homemade or store-bought) – approximately 12

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Whisk together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. Beat softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, alternating with milk/cream, until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla and salt.
  4. Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost each cupcake with a generous swirl of vanilla buttercream.
  5. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. If the chocolate is too thick, stir in a tiny amount of vegetable shortening. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
  6. Starting in the center of the cupcake, pipe a series of concentric circles of melted chocolate on top of the frosting. Use a toothpick or skewer to drag lines from the center outwards to the edge of the cupcake, creating a spiderweb effect.
  7. Carefully place a sugar spider on top of each cobweb cupcake.
  8. Refrigerate the cupcakes for a short time to firm up the chocolate web if desired.