Name: Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 27 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 dark chocolate cake mix; 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder; 1 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup oil; 3 large eggs; black food coloring (a few drops); 24 black cupcake liners; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but not to room temperature; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 jar marshmallow fluff (7 oz); 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; 1 package black candy melts (12 oz); 1 package miniature marshmallows (16 oz); 1 package black candy pearls; 24 plastic spider rings

Jump to Recipe· 4.9 from 8 reviews

If you’re on the hunt for a show-stopping Halloween treat or a fun spooky dessert to wow your guests, you’re going to love this Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe. These cupcakes are all about that perfect mix of rich chocolate and whimsical spider webs made from marshmallows, creating a creepy-cute vibe that’s surprisingly easy to master. Trust me, once you try these, you’ll want to make them every spooky season (or whenever you need a cool party treat!). Stick around, I’m going to share the full rundown so you can nail them without a hitch.

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Why This Recipe Works

Perfect Chocolate Base: Using a dark chocolate cake mix combined with cocoa and buttermilk gives these cupcakes a moist, rich flavor that isn’t too sweet.
Buttery Marshmallow Frosting: The blend of butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, and marshmallow fluff creates a fluffy yet stable frosting that holds up well under decoration.
Creative Spider Web Topping: Stretching melted marshmallows into spider web shapes adds a fun, interactive element and gives each cupcake its own unique spooky personality.
Black Candy Melts Dip: Dipping the cupcakes partially into black candy melts really amps up the contrast and drama, making them perfect for Halloween parties or themed events.

Three chocolate cupcakes sit side by side on a long white plate on a white marbled surface. Each cupcake has a dark brown base wrapped in a black paper liner. The top layer is white frosting, thick and swirled smoothly. The cupcake on the left is decorated with small shiny black balls and a small black plastic spider. The middle cupcake has a layer of thin white web-like frosting over a black drizzle topping and a black plastic spider on top. The cupcake on the right is decorated with a swirl of white frosting, black shiny balls, and a black plastic spider on top. A black cloth and an open book are blurred in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe plays a crucial role in delivering the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and spooky style. Shopping for the right products is worth the small effort, especially if you want those webs looking fabulous!

Dark chocolate cake mix: The base of your cupcakes, this saves time while giving you consistently moist and rich chocolatey cupcakes.
Dark chocolate cocoa powder: Adds an extra depth of chocolate flavor to intensify that dark, decadent crumb.
Buttermilk: Helps keep the cupcakes incredibly tender and slightly tangy, balancing the sweetness perfectly.
Oil: Keeps the cake moist without weighing it down, making the crumb delightful.
Eggs: Provide structure and richness for the batter.
Black food coloring: Just a drop makes the batter an eerie grey, contributing to the spooky vibe from the start.
Black cupcake liners: They add an instant Halloween touch and keep those cupcakes looking sleek.
Unsalted butter: For smooth frosting — important to have it softened, but not too warm or greasy.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and gives frosting its signature silky texture.
Marshmallow fluff: Adds that marshmallow magic to the frosting and becomes the spider web material.
Almond extract: A subtle twist that lifts the flavor profile with a touch of nuttiness.
Black candy melts: Essential if you want that shiny, smooth black coating on your cupcakes.
Miniature marshmallows: These get melted and stretched to create the spider webs; sticky but fun to work with!
Black candy pearls: Mimic spider eggs and add texture and sparkle to your decoration.
Plastic spider rings: Adds a creepy and playful final touch — great for parties or gifting.

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Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Tweak to Your Taste

This Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe is such a blast because you can customize it easily depending on your mood or occasion. I love swapping out little elements to suit my party themes or dietary needs — and you should too! It’s all about making it fun and personal.

Variation: I sometimes add a splash of peppermint extract instead of almond in the frosting for a refreshing twist that pairs beautifully with chocolate.
Dietary modification: If you need gluten-free cupcakes, just use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix — the rest of the recipe stays the same.
Seasonal twist: Swap black candy melts for orange or purple ones at Halloween, or red ones for Valentine’s to create totally different vibes.
Difficulty Level: If you’re new to cupcake decorating, skip dipping in candy melts and just do the marshmallow webs — it’s simpler but looks just as amazing.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe

Step 1: Mixing the Batters With a Spooky Twist

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and placing black cupcake liners into your muffin tin. In a large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Here’s a little pro move — add a small drop of black food coloring and mix it in until the batter turns a ghostly grey. This step sets the mood and helps achieve that spider-web look later. Then, add your dry ingredients — dark chocolate cake mix and cocoa powder — and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix; you want the batter to be tender and fluffy.

Step 2: Bake and Cool – Don’t Skip This Wait!

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each liner about two-thirds full — no overfilling here, or you’ll get cupcakes spilling over. Bake for 15-17 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool them completely on a wire rack before frosting. I usually let them rest for at least 30 minutes; anything warmer than that will melt the frosting.

Step 3: Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting Magic

While the cupcakes cool, get your frosting ready. Beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar gradually — about half a cup at a time — to avoid a sugar dust cloud in your kitchen. Mix in the almond extract and marshmallow fluff for that dreamy, marshmallowy texture. If your frosting feels a little stiff, add a teaspoon of milk to smooth it out. Pipe generously over the cooled cupcakes using a Wilton 1M star tip; the swirls help nest the marshmallow spider webs later.

Step 4: Dip or Don’t Dip – Decorating Your Way

You can choose your adventure here: either dip half of each frosted cupcake into melted black candy melts for that dramatic contrast or jump straight to spider web decorating if you want to keep it simple. I personally love the dipped version because it adds shine and texture, but both ways look fantastic.

Step 5: Create Your Spider Webs With Stretched Marshmallows

This is the fun (and slightly sticky) part! Melt about a cup of miniature marshmallows in the microwave for 30 seconds — just enough so they’re gooey but not totally liquid. Don’t stir; use gloves or bare hands (I learned that gloves are a game-changer), grab a couple of marshmallows and stretch them slowly into thin strands. Place these strands gently over the frosting or candy melt sections to form spider webs. Every web looks unique, so don’t worry about perfection — messiness adds to the creepy effect!

Step 6: Final Creepy Touches

Trim the plastic spider rings’ bands and position the spiders right onto the webs — I love how this adds a playful surprise element. Add black candy pearls one by one to mimic spider eggs scattered along the webs. This little detail adds texture and visual interest that always gets compliments.

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Pro Tips for Making Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe

Use Gloves for Webs: I swear by wearing disposable gloves when stretching marshmallow webs — it keeps the sticky mess contained and your fingers clean.
Don’t Overbake Cupcakes: Slightly underbaked cupcakes hold moisture better — they’ll still set when cooling and make the texture extra soft.
Pipe Frosting with a Star Tip: The ridges help trap the marshmallow strands, which makes webs easier to form and prevents them from sliding off.
Perfect Dipping Technique: Dip only half or two-thirds of the cupcake in candy melts to avoid overwhelming the flavor and let the frosting peek through.

How to Serve Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe

A row of three black cupcake liners on a white rectangular plate with white marbled texture underneath. Each cupcake has a thick layer of swirled white frosting topped with black plastic spiders and small shiny black round sprinkles. The frosting texture looks soft and creamy with some thin white icing drizzled over it, creating a spider web effect. The black cupcake base contrasts with the white frosting for a striking Halloween look. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Garnishes

My go-to garnishes are the black candy pearls to mimic spider eggs — they add texture and a bit of sparkle. The plastic spider rings aren’t just decorations; they double as cute party favors for guests to wear! Sometimes I sprinkle edible glitter on the webs for an extra eerie glow under dim lighting.

Side Dishes

I love pairing these cupcakes with simple sides like a fresh fruit platter or pumpkin spice cookies — it keeps the dessert table seasonal but not overwhelming. A cup of rich hot chocolate or spiced apple cider is also a perfect cozy companion.

Creative Ways to Present

For Halloween parties, I like to place these cupcakes on a tiered cake stand decorated with faux spider webs and tiny LED lights for that spooky glow. Another fun idea is to arrange them inside a “haunted” treat box or basket lined with shredded black tissue paper and plastic bugs for an extra surprise element.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I usually keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature if I plan to eat them within 24 hours. The marshmallow webs stay soft and the frosting holds its texture perfectly. If it’s a warmer day, refrigerate them but bring them back to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

Freezing these cupcakes can be tricky because of the marshmallow webs and candy melts, but if you want to prep ahead, I recommend freezing the cupcakes without decorations. Freeze them wrapped individually in plastic wrap, then frost and decorate after thawing. This keeps everything fresh and pretty.

Reheating

Reheating these cupcakes isn’t usually necessary — you can enjoy them at room temp. But if you want to gently warm them, pop them in the microwave for 5-7 seconds to avoid melting the marshmallow webs. Let them cool a bit before digging in.

FAQs

Can I make the spider webs ahead of time?

While you can prepare the spider webs a little in advance, they’re best made right before serving. Marshmallow strands can dry out or become sticky if left too long. If you want to prep early, keep the marshmallows un-stretched in an airtight container and create the webs just before your event.
What if I don’t have black candy melts?

No worries! You can skip the dipping step entirely — the cupcakes look amazing with just the piped frosting and marshmallow webs. Alternatively, you can melt some dark chocolate and add black gel food coloring or use black chocolate melts if available.
Can I substitute almond extract in the frosting?

Absolutely! Vanilla extract works as a simple substitute. For a different flavor profile, try peppermint or orange extracts, especially if you want to customize for holidays or personal taste.
How do I avoid the marshmallow webs sticking to my fingers?

Wearing disposable gloves is the easiest way to keep your hands clean while stretching the webs. You can also lightly oil your fingers with vegetable oil to reduce stickiness, but gloves still give you better control.

Final Thoughts

This Black and White Spider Web Cupcakes Recipe has become my favorite Halloween tradition because it’s as much fun to make as it is to eat. Those little spider webs aren’t perfect — and that’s the point! They add character and a wickedly cool vibe to every bite. I promise, your friends and family will be thrilled both by the spooky look and the rich, buttery chocolatey flavor. Give this recipe a whirl, and let me know how your spooky cupcakes turned out — kitchen experiments like this are the best kind of fun!