Easy Chocolate Spider Cake For Halloween

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A spooky delicious chocolate bundt cake covered in sticky marshmallow spider webs and crawling with candy spiders! This creepy crawly dessert is perfect for the kids this Halloween and will definitely be a hit at your next party!

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

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

Ingredients for the 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 or prayer 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: Decorate the cake with spiders

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.

Substitutions and Variations

There are quite a few steps to making this spider cake, but none are complicated. Most of the ingredients can be found right in your pantry and at the local craft store! Use what you have on hand and whatever’s available in your area. This cake is super fun and should not be stressful. Here are a few subs and swaps that will work perfectly for this cake!

• Feel free to use your favorite chocolate cake mix in place of homemade.
• Don’t have buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup and add just enough whole milk to equal 1 cup of liquid. Works perfectly!
• Turn your chocolate cake into a chocolate spice cake by adding 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves to the chocolate cake batter. Festive and delicious!
• Make this recipe into mini bundt cakes!
• Skip making your own candy spiders and look for gummy spiders or premade candy bugs at the craft store or in the Halloween section of your grocery store!
• 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. You’ll still need to refrigerate the cake or pop it in the freezer 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!
• The candy spiders can be made days in advance, and kept in the fridge until ready to use. The chocolate bundt cake can be made the day before and decorated the next day.

Tips

• When making a bundt cake, make sure to grease and flour the cake pan really, really well. Even nonstick bundt pans have the tendency to stick. I love using a baking spray with flour in it because my cakes come out of the pan easily every time, and there’s no white residue from the flour on the outside of the cake. I use baking spray for all my bundt cake recipes!
• 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

Halloween Popcorn Balls

Graveyard Brownies

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats

Mummy Munch- Halloween Snack Mix

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