Kid Friendly Halloween Spider Cake
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This Chocolate Spider Cake is perfect for busy parents and kids! With sticky marshmallow webs, rich chocolate cake, and candy spiders, this cake is a fun family activity that kiddos at any age can help with!
For any holiday, I love getting kids in the kitchen. And if you have a mix of little and big kiddos, this cake is the perfect dessert to get them in the kitchen together!
The older kids will have fun making the chocolate cake and getting messy with the marshmallow web, and the little ghouls can help stir batter or pour candy for the spiders. At the end, everyone can have fun adding decorations to the chocolate cake!
I created this recipe without rules, so make this recipe completely from scratch or a mix!
All you need to do is have fun with the kids…and eat this AMAZING chocolate cake after!
How To make a Spider Cake for Halloween
Makes 10-12 Servings
Ingredients for the chocolate bundt cake
- 3/4 cup of strong coffee, very hot
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup of buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup of sour cream (not low fat please), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Candy Spiders and Spider Web
- 9 large marshmallows or 1 1/4 cups of mini marshmallows
- Candy melts in assorted colors (green, purple, orange, brown)
- Silicone spider candy mold*
- Halloween colored sprinkles (optional)
*You can always use premade candy spiders or gummy spiders as an alternative to making your own!
Instructions
Step 1: Make the chocolate bundt cake
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Spray a bundt pan generously with baking spray (cooking spray with flour) or butter and flour the pan really well. Set aside.
Combine the hot coffee and the cocoa powder in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Allow the coffee and cocoa mixture to cool to room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Set that aside as well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, oil, and brown sugar. Stir the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then turn up the speed to medium high and beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Once fluffy, turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Mix in each egg fully before adding the next.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and pour in the cooled coffee and chocolate mixture. Mix until combined, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add the flour in three additions and the buttermilk in two.
Mix the batter on low speed until no flour streaks remain, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Pour the chocolate cake batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake in a 350º oven for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before pouring topping with the ganache.
Step 2: Make the chocolate ganache icing
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling (about 3-5 minutes).
Add chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes undisturbed to melt the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth. Allow the ganache to sit for about 15-20 minutes to thicken. The mixture should be thick, but still pourable.
Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the excess to drip down the sides.
Place the cake in the fridge for about 1 hour to set the ganache.
Step 3: Make the chocolate candy spiders
While the ganache sets, melt your candy melts per the package’s instructions and pour into your spider shaped candy molds, (you can skip this step if using premade candy spiders).
Pop the molds in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes to set the candy melts.
Once the melts have hardened, carefully remove your spiders from the silicone mold and set aside.
Step 4: Make the marshmallow spiderwebs
Remove the chocolate cake from the fridge and make sure the ganache has firmed up.
Measure out the marshmallows into a microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 30 seconds. The marshmallows should be hot, puffed, and holding their shape. Use a spoon or a whisk to smooth out the marshmallows.
Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool just enough to be handled, but still very warm. To make the spiderwebs, use three fingers to scoop up a portion of the marshmallow mixture, and put both your hands together in a clapping position.
Next, slowly spread out your fingers and pull your hands apart to make a spider web.
Drape the web over the top and sides of the cake. Repeat this process until you feel your cake is sufficiently covered in spiderwebs. You may need to remelt the marshmallows for another 30 seconds to finish the webbing.
Step 5: Add spiders to the spider cake!
Once your cake is covered in webs, press the chocolate candy spiders all over the outside of the cake, making sure they stick to the marshmallow spiderwebs.
To finish the cake, sprinkle the Halloween colored sprinkles over the top for an extra dose of spooky.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing The Finished Spider Cake
This cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you live in a particularly humid area, you can prolong the life of this cake by covering it and popping it in the fridge–but refrigeration is not required.
Time Saving Tips and Substitutions
There are quite a few steps to making this spider cake, but none are complicated and all can be modified to match your ability and time!
- Use your favorite chocolate cake mix in place of homemade.
- Make this recipe into mini bundt cakes! This is fun to give out at Halloween Parties!
- Buy premade candy spiders instead of making your own.
- Drizzle white chocolate over the cake to make your spiderweb instead of using marshmallows.
- Skip the ganache and ice the cake with Nutella–as we did for these Halloween brownies. Tip: chill the cake to firm up the Nutella before adding your spider webs.
- Mix and match the decorations! Add colorful bugs, candy eyes, different colored sprinkles, or M&Ms. The options are endless!
Tips For The Best Halloween Spider Cake
- Make sure the ganache has set before adding your marshmallow web. This way the web won’t drip off or get discolored from the wet chocolate ganache.
- Work quickly when making your marshmallow webbing. The marshmallows set quickly, so making the webs while the mixture is very warm is essential. If necessary, you can remelt the marshmallows for a second time in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Use fresh marshmallows for the spider webbing. Fresh marshmallows melt easier and stretch better than stale marshmallows
More Halloween Recipes
Mummy Munch- Halloween Snack Mix
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Chocolate Halloween Spider Cake
Ingredients
Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 3/4 cup of strong coffee very hot
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup of buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 cup of sour cream not low fat, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Icing
- 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Candy Spiders and Marshmallow Web
- 9 large marshmallows or 1 1/4 cups of mini marshmallows
- Candy melts in assorted colors green, purple, orange, brown
- Silicone spider candy mold *
- Halloween colored sprinkles optional
Instructions
- For making the cakePreheat the oven to 350º.
- Spray a bundt pan generously with baking spray (cooking spray with flour in it) or butter and flour the pan really well. Set aside.
- Combine the hot coffee and the cocoa powder in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Alow the coffee and cocoa mixture to cool to room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Set that aside as well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, oil, and brown sugar. Stir the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then turn up the speed to medium high and beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Once fluffy, turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Mix in each egg fully before adding the next.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and pour in the cooled coffee and chocolate mixture. Mix until combined, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- With the mixer on low, alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add the flour in three additions and the buttermilk in two.
- Mix the batter on low speed until no flour streaks remain, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake in a 350º oven for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before topping with the ganache.
- To make the chocolate ganacheIn a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes undisturbed to melt the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth. Allow the ganache to sit for about 15-20 minutes to thicken. The mixture should be thick, but still pourable.
- Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the excess to drip down the sides.
- Place the cake in the fridge for about 1 hour to set the ganache.
- Making the spiders and spiderwebs to decorate the cakeWhile the ganache sets, melt your candy melts per the package's instructions and pour into your spider shaped candy molds, (you can skip this step if using premade candy spiders).
- Pop the molds in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes to set the candy melts.
- Once the melts have hardened, carefully remove your spiders from the silicone mold and set aside.
- Decorating the Spider CakeRemove the chocolate cake from the fridge and make sure the ganache has firmed up.
- Measure out the marshmallows into a microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 30 seconds. The marshmallows should be hot, puffed, and holding their shape. Use a spoon or a whisk to smooth out the marshmallows.
- Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool just enough to be handled, but still very warm.
- To make the spiderwebs, use three fingers to scoop up a portion of the marshmallow mixture, and put both your hands together in a clapping or prayer position. Next, slowly spread out your fingers and pull your hands apart to make a spider web.
- Drape the webs over the top and sides of the cake. Repeat this process until you feel your cake is sufficiently covered in spiderwebs. You may need to remelt the marshmallows for another 30 seconds to finish the webbing.
- Once your cake is covered in webs, decorate with your candy spiders and sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
