Among the many tricks, there must be a treat somewhere during the Halloween season. Costumes, decorations, friends, and trick-or-treating encapsulate the holiday, festive and fun for children, high-schoolers, and adults alike.
Over time, Halloween started including spiders as part of the spooky decor. With cobwebs and huge furry legs, they became a staple of Halloween decorating. As I came across inspiration for these spider cake pops through Play Party Plan, I was immediately sold! Not only are these cake pops an enticing treat for parties, but they perfectly capture the fun and eeriness of Halloween.
The rich, chocolatey cake pops consist of a shimmering sugar coating, sweet chocolate legs, and huge candy eyes, satisfying every guest’s inner sweet tooth. The light crunch of the sugar along with the soft, delectable center will have guests in awe, even if it takes a little extra time to prepare.
With growing excitement for Halloween and the possibilities for parties this year, these spider cake pops are the perfect treat for the night.
Inspired by Play Party Plan, but if you prefer truffles over cake pops, reference this article: Valentine’s Day: A Time for a Sweet Treat.
Yield: 30-40 cake pops
Ingredients:
Your favorite cake (preferably chocolate), baked and cooled (If you would like to make these simpler, try using a box cake mix)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + and extra ¼ cup for the legs
2-3 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping cream
Black Sanding Sugar
60-80 Candy eyes
2-3 cups Dark Brown Candy Melts
Step 1:
Once your cake is cooled completely, transfer the cake into a large bowl and crumble the cake completely before setting aside.
Step 2:
Pour the milk in a microwave-safe glass, and microwave it for 45 seconds to a minute in 30-second intervals, making sure the milk doesn’t bubble over. Once heated, pour the milk into the chocolate chips and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3:
Mix the ganache (milk and chocolate mixture) into a smooth liquid. (If the ganache doesn’t easily mix completely, microwave it for another 30 seconds). Next, pour the ganache into the crumbled cake, kneading it until it becomes a smooth dough-like consistency. This should not be sticky or crumbly.
Step 4:
Using a scale, weigh each ball to be around 22 grams, making sure each one is smooth, and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Continue until there is no more dough, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. (Optionally, you can stick cake pop sticks into the cake pops).
Step 6:
Melt the extra ¼ cup of chocolate chips using a microwave and transfer the chocolate into a piping bag or plastic bag. Cut a small hole at the tip of the bag, and pipe 70-90-degree angles around ½ inch in length to form the spider legs on a piece of parchment. You will need 240-320 of these legs. Once done, place into a refrigerator until needed.
Step 7:
Melt the candy melts either over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second increments. Be sure not to overheat the candy melts or allow water to mix in them. Once melted, take the cake pops out of the refrigerator and coat them into the chocolate using a fork, making sure to shake off any excess chocolate. Quickly apply the candy eyes, and dust each cake pop with black sanding sugar. Finally, place the cake pop onto the parchment paper and repeat with the remaining cake pops.
Step 8:
Take the spider legs out of the refrigerator and, moving quickly, dip the end of the leg in the remaining melted chocolate and stick them onto the cakepop. Attach 6-8 legs on each cake pop. Once done, refrigerate until ready to eat and enjoy!
