*Video recipe!* Celebrate Spiderman with these easy Spiderman cupcakes- a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream. Superheroes never tasted this good. 

 

It’s time for another superhero style recipe. This one honours The Amazing Spiderman 2, which I believe hits the cinema today. Not too long ago, I made a video for Spiderman cookies– and I was proud because I was able to recreate my favourite superhero into something edible.

Since then, I have been waiting anxiously for the sequel. I think the reason Spiderman is a favourite is because it is the most realistic. The intention of superhero films is to transport you to an alternate universe through a screen, and if you’re like me, you watch all your superhero movies in 3D, so it’s very effective. But Thor comes from another planet. Captain America’s been preserved through time.

But Spiderman– while scientifically impossible, seems possible. They make it seem possible because getting bitten by a spider is realistic- having consequences as a cause of being bitten is also realistic.  And even though Spiderman undergoes a physical change, he still retains his ‘human’ qualities- I’m not saying that the others don’t, I’m just saying Spiderman does.

I’ve also previously mentioned how Emma Stone is my favorite actress. She’s dating Andrew Garfield, and their chemistry on screen is unbeatable- because they’re a thing in real life. So once again- it’s realistic. And the fact that that both characters are in high school makes it a lot more relatable.

I decided to honor Spiderman with cupcakes instead of cookies- a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing. Nothing says party like a fluffy cupcake. I’m using the same cupcake recipe as I did for the Nutella cupcakes because it’s so darn moist- but I’m using 2 cups cake flour instead of a combination of cake flour and all-purpose, because cake flour leaves a very tender crumb. I’m omitting the Nutella, but if you’d like an extra decadent treat, go ahead and make some of those. I’m also using my go-to vanilla buttercream from my cookie dough-stuffed chocolate cupcakes; it’s smooth, velvety and very sweet.

For the black lines, I use my standard chocolate buttercream frosting (recipe below). It’s easier to dye brown black than it is to dye white black.

Generally, I don’t like using food coloring when baking or decorating- so I tend not to post a lot of recipes using food color. This is an exception, however. I’m breaking all the rules because so it only seems right to honor a superhero with a bad-ass cupcake. Enjoy this recipe for Spiderman cupcakes.

Start out with a regular cupcake. I’ve used a very fluffy, moist vanilla cupcake (recipe below).

 Frost the cupcake completely in red buttercream- as smooth as you can get it.

Using a toothpick, trace the pattern. Draw four lines to divide the cupcake into 8 sections. Draw the eyes on either side of the the horizontally straight line and the midpoint (each eye should take up a section). Draw two webs, a smaller one and a larger one.

 Outline with black frosting.

 Make the eyes extra thick- that’s how Spiderman rolls.

Fill in the eyes with white frosting, and you’ve done it! Edible Spiderman cupcakes. Yum.

Spiderman cupcakes recipe

Spiderman Cupcakes

Celebrate Spiderman with these easy Spiderman cupcakes- a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream. Superheroes never tasted this good. 
Yield: 16 cupcakes
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Ingredients

Ingredients for cupcakes

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup unsalted, softened butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup shaken buttermilk

For vanilla frosting:

  • 3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted, softened butter
  • 1-2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • For chocolate frosting:
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup cocoa
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla

For decorating

  • ¼ cup vanilla frosting, in a piping bag- add a little extra milk to thin it out so that it doesn’t hold its shape in the eyes.
  • 1 ½ cups vanilla frosting dyed red
  • 1 cup chocolate frosting dyed black – or vanilla dyed black, in a piping bag with a #3 icing tip**

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C. Line 2 cupcake pans with 16-18 cupcake liners.
  • In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, and whisk until combined.
  • In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Scraping down the sides of the bowl, add in the eggs and vanilla extract, beat until well incorporated.
  • Alternate with the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, until everything is well mixed.
  • Do not overbeat! Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, making sure everything is combined.
  • Fill each muffin liner about 3/4 of the way full- I like to use an ice cream scoop to do this.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the vanilla frosting

  • Sift the sugar.
  • In a bowl, cream the butter with the vanilla, alternating with the sugar and the milk.

For the chocolate frosting

  • Melt the butter over a double boiler or in the microwave and whisk in the cocoa.
  • Alternate with the milk and powdered sugar until frosting is stiff.
  • Add in the vanilla and beat.

For decorating

  • Spread the cupcakes with red buttercream, as smooth and flat as you can get it.
  • Using a toothpick, draw the design- a line in the centre horizontally, one vertically and then 2 diagonally. It should be divided into 8 portions and resemble a pizza.
  • Draw the eyes and connect the portions with arched lines to make webs (see images).
  • Pipe the black onto the lines- except don’t fill the eyes.
  • Fill the eyes with the white buttercream reserved earlier. Done.

Notes

I have provided you with the entire process from scratch- you can use store-bought frosting and cupcakes if you prefer. You most likely won’t need the whole cup of chocolate frosting, but I like to have extra in my piping bag as it makes my life easier when I pipe lines.
Cupcake recipe adapted from Butch Bakery Cookbook, chocolate frosting from Hershey’s and vanilla frosting from Gale Gand
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dessert
Looking to make more baked goods for a superhero-themed party? Or simply a big Marvel fan? Try my Spiderman cookies recipe or Captain America cheesecake recipe.