Big Black Spiders are a recurring theme for Halloween; most people are afraid of spiders. These Big Black Spider Cakes are big and black, but they aren’t particularly scary. Instead they are delicious. They are also cute, and they are perfect to put on the annual Halloween BOO-ffet table. Of course the bonus for the busy cook is that these are quick and easy. No fancy decorating bag is necessary, just canned frosting, sanding sugar, black licorice for the legs, and M&M’s candies for the eyes.

Mini bundt pans are ideal for baking these spiders. I’ve used a 4” bundt cake pan for the spider bodies, and a miniature bundt pan for the heads. If you don’t have bundt pans, you may bake the bodies in a giant size muffin pan and the heads in a miniature muffin pan; most likely you have both of these pans already in your cupboard, however, both pans are readily available at discount stores. You’ll need a little extra frosting to make the edges round like spider bodies, but the end result will be very similar to those baked in bundt pans.

Although some spiders are actually brown, Halloween spiders are definitely black. Paste food coloring is available at craft stores, but I’ve found that frosting tinted with large amounts of black coloring turns mouths all kinds of awful colors. Chocolate icing (which tastes better than white icing colored with liberal amounts of food coloring) sprinkled liberally with black sanding sugar is actually cuter since the sanding sugar makes the spiders sparkle. In addition, I don’t need to tint any frosting, which is not only a timesaver, but those eating the spiders will enjoy a normal colored mouth.

Make the cakes using your favorite flavor of cake mix, or vary the flavor with add-ins. Since they have chocolate frosting, Shortcut Pumpkin Chocolate Spice Cake is especially suitable for these spiders.

Big Black Spider Cakes

12 Cakes

1 18.5 ounce cake mix, batter prepared according to package directions
2 16 oz. cans Chocolate frosting
1/2 to 1 cup black sanding sugar, (available at craft stores and restaurant supplies)

16 black licorice twists
24 yellow or orange M & M's Candies

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray 2 4" mini bundt pans and a mini bundtlette pan with Baker's Joy, or grease and flour. If you don't have bundt pans, use giant muffin pans for the bodies and miniature muffin pans for the heads.


2. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and invert on cooling racks; cool thoroughly.


3. When cool, place each of the larger cakes on a serving tray.


4. Cut a slice off of the side of six of the smaller cakes (heads) and use frosting to "glue" each to the larger cakes(bodies).


5. Frost the cakes (both bodies and heads) with chocolate frosting, then sprinkle liberally with black sanding sugar.


6. Cut the licorice twists in thirds and insert four into each side of the spider bodies.


7. Put a little frosting on the back of the M&M's candies and press them into the smaller cakes for eyes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 541 Calories from Fat 160
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 29% Protein 0% Carb. 70%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 18 g 54%
Saturated Fat 4 g 43%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 480 mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 95 g 63%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%
Sugars 70 g
Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 0%