Spider Web Cupcakes

I found this Halloween cupcake recipe on the Land O’Lakes website. Kids love baking so allow the children to help you with every step of this recipe. I even allowed the young boys to decorate these cupcakes themselves for their upcoming Halloween party.

You Will Need:

CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
2 large Land O Lakes® Eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

GLAZE

1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 teaspoons shortening

What to Do:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cups into 24 muffin pan cups; set aside.

2. Combine sugar and 1/4 cup butter in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add eggs; continue beating until creamy. Add sour cream, milk and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Add all remaining cupcake ingredients; beat at low speed until well mixed.

3. Fill prepared muffin cups with about 2 tablespoons batter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

4. Combine powdered sugar and 1/4 cup butter in bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency.

5. Melt chocolate chips and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Place melted chocolate in small heavy-duty resealable plastic food bag; snip tip from one corner to make very small hole.

6. Frost 6 cupcakes, using about 1 tablespoon frosting for each cupcake.

7. Immediately pipe 3 concentric circles of melted chocolate onto each frosted cupcake.

8. Starting at center, draw toothpick 5 or 6 times through chocolate circles to outside edge of frosting to make spider web design. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and frosting. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

References:

Recipe from Land 0’Lakes
Decorations by Nanny Kids
Photo by Stephanie Felzenberg