Spider Cakes

I made these with my son for a school cake sale.  We had great fun making them.  They are very simple.  You just need to make some cupcakes and then decorate.  I used matchmakers for the legs and chocolate buttons for the eyes.  I bought a pre-filled bag of white icing as I thought my son would find it easier to hold than a large piping bag.

Cup Cake recipe

100 g butter

125 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs beaten

25 g cocoa powder

pinch salt

2 tbs milk

3 tbs boiling water

Method

1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until combined and pale and light in colour.  This will take 3 minutes or more.
2. Scrape the mixture down the sides of the bowl.  Slowly add the eggs.  Mixing well between each addition.
3. Seive the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into the bowl.  Add the milk.  Beat until smooth.
4. Add the boiling water.  Beat for about 30 seconds until the mixture is silky smooth.
5. Divide between paper cake cases.
6. Cook at 180 C for 18 minutes or so until a metal skewer comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Chocolate buttercream

250 g butter at room temperature

500 g icing sugar

75 g cocoa

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs milk

1 tsp golden syrup

1. Chop the butter and place in mixing bowl.  Beat until pale and light
2. Slowly incorporate the icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and milk.
3. Add the golden syrup and beat for a further minute.

Construction

1. Ice the top of the cakes with the buttercream.
2. Break the matchmakers to size and insert 4 legs each side.  If you don’t have enough room for that, we didn’t compromise and have 6 legged spiders!
3. Carefully ice a round icing dot onto 2 chocolate buttons.  Push gently into the icing at the front.