Creepy-Cute Halloween Spider Cake (Made from Cake Mix!)

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This spooky-sweet spider cake is creepy-cute, easy to make with cake mix and frosting, and perfect for any Halloween celebration. 🕷️

Greetings, my ghoulish friends (fiends)! Gather ‘round because this shiny black spider cake might just crawl away with the whole dessert table. It’s glossy, it’s spooky-sweet, and it’s made with… wait for it… boxed cake mix and canned frosting. Yep. No stress, no bakery skills required, just pure Halloween fun.

Here at Fun Food Crafts, I’m all about those “wow, you made that?!” desserts that don’t take hours or a culinary degree to pull off. This one looks spook-tacular on a dessert table and comes together faster than you can say trick-or-treat.

It’s easy, fast, and almost too cute to eat. Almost.

Reasons Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A Little Frosting Confession 👀

This little guy was born from a crumb coat experiment gone right. I was smoothing out the frosting with a warm offset spatula, and suddenly, boom! It turned glassy and gorgeous. Like, horror-movie-level shiny (but in a cute way).

I accidentally used water that was a little too hot, and it melted the frosting just enough to make it shiny, kind of caramelized, kind of glossy, totally unexpected. I thought I’d ruined it, but instead it turned out amazing. That happy mistake taught me one of my favorite new tricks. Sometimes the best Halloween magic happens by accident.

How to Make the Black Spider Cake for Halloween

Half a ball-shaped cake pan, a little frosting magic, and a trick that’ll make you feel like a Halloween baking wizard. This spider might look haunted and fancy, but it’s secretly so simple.

🥄 Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Shiny Black Spider Cake

Gear up for this haunted little bake with the basics; nothing spooky here except how cute your final cake will be!

• Wilton 3D Sports Ball Cake Pan Set (use one half for the body. Use the other half for this Cauldron Cake!)
• Silicone half-sphere mold (for the head), I used the larger one of this set
• Cake Turntable – optional, but makes frosting and decorating much easier!
• Mixing bowls
• Offset spatula or butter knife
• Small bowl of hot water (for the shiny frosting trick). I used an electric kettle to almost boil the water, and was dipping my spatula in that.
• Scissors (for licorice legs)
• Sprinkle tweezers (optional for helping add the candy eyes)

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Black Spider Halloween Cake

This is the kind of spooky-sweet recipe that proves Halloween baking doesn’t have to be hard.

• chocolate cake mix (plus what the box calls for)
• black buttercream frosting (you may need to color your own, as it can be hard to find. I found some black buttercream at Michaels)
• black licorice
• Regular red M&M’s
• Red Mini M&M’s

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One: Bake the Creepy Base

• Begin by mixing your cake, then add the batter to a greased and floured half of the Wilton ball pan for the spider’s body, making sure to reserve enough for the spider’s head.
• Next, pour a little batter into a silicone half-sphere mold for the head.
• Bake both until a toothpick comes out clean, then let the cakes cool completely. *The head will likely finish before the body, so be sure to keep an eye on it.

NOTE – These ball pans do take longer to cook than other-shaped cake pans. Mine took around 45 to 50 minutes and involved multiple toothpick insertions. In addition, the legs will likely finish before the cauldron body, so be sure to keep an eye on it.

Step Two: Shape the Spider

• Once completely cooled, trim off any excess cake that rose above the rims so your spider’s body and head will sit flat.
• Place the large ‘dome’ flat-side down on your serving plate (I used a black cake turntable for frosting and serving)and attach the smaller dome (head) with frosting “glue.”

Step Three: Crumb Coat and Chill

• Spread a thin layer of frosting over both domes; this is your crumb coat. It needs to be thin, and don’t worry about how it looks, as we will frost over it.
• Chill for at least 15 minutes. It’s the secret to a clean finish and fewer frosting freak-outs later.

Step Four: Frosting Glow-Up Time

• Stir the black frosting so it becomes smooth, creamy, and easy to apply.
• Then, using a glob of frosting, attach the head to the body (it’s up to you if you want to attach it now or after adding the second coat of frosting)
• Next, starting with the head, smooth a generous layer of frosting.
• Now, dip your offset spatula in hot water, dry it off, and then glide it over the frosting in a smoothing motion from top to bottom.
• Keep warming and smoothing until it’s as glossy as a spider’s shell. (Mine turned out so well, I didn’t even add a final coat.) It may take a few times and a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, it moves quickly. Watch the shine appear like Halloween magic! 🖤
• Repeat with the body.

Step Five: Bring It to Life

• Cut eight licorice legs and gently press four into each side. Mine were 6″ long. See tip below!
• Pop on the two big red M&M’s for eyes, then lay out the mini eyes below it.
• Chill if needed, then let your spooky-cute spider steal the spotlight.

Pro Tip: When you’re shaping the legs, bend each licorice piece about an inch from the top. It’ll snap just enough to help it hold that cute, spidery curve. Since licorice sticks are hollow, you’ll want to bend gently so only the top half of the “straw” cracks — that way it still stays connected underneath and doesn’t break off completely.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• The hot knife hack: Warm, wipe, smooth, repeat. That’s the glossy secret!
• Frosting patience: The crumb coat keeps crumbs from haunting your finish. 👻
• Leg day: Chill the cake a bit before inserting the legs to keep them steady.
• Lifelike eyes: use white cookie frosting to add a tiny dot on the large eyes for a spooktacularly life-like touch!
• Extra sparkle: A dusting of edible glitter makes this spider look straight out of a Halloween dream.
• Color tip: Frosting darkens as it sits — go bold!

Recipe Variations, Additions, and Substitutions

• Mini Spider Cupcakes: Turn cupcakes into baby spiders with shorter licorice legs.
• Creepy Colors: Try purple or neon green frosting for a monster mash twist.
• Candy Swap: No licorice? Use pretzel sticks dipped in black candy melts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade frosting instead of canned?

A: Absolutely — as long as it’s soft and spreadable. You should still get that glossy look with the hot-spatula trick.

Can I make it ahead of time?

A: Totally! Frost and chill the cake, then add the legs and eyes right before serving. Just be sure to wrap it or store it in a container with a lid to prevent the icing from drying out and cracking. If you do have cracks, try smoothing the cake again with the hot spatula hack

Q: What makes the frosting shiny?

The extra warm knife! It melts and smooths the frosting just enough to give it that eerie mirror glow. Use a metal offset spatula, warm it by dipping it in just-boiled water, dry off any water, then lightly make smoothing strokes from top to bottom. I am no expert, but I think using such hot water altered the frosting consistency.

Show Me Your Spooky Creations!

If you make your own shiny spider, I would love to see it — tag @funfoodcrafts or use #funfoodcrafts so I can share your creepy-cute masterpiece with our Halloween fam!

Looking for More Halloween Fun?

Don’t stop here! Check out my other frightfully fun Halloween sweets that are scary easy to make!

• Halloween Sprinkle Brownies
• Halloween Candy Bark Art Jack-o-lantern
• Donut Eyeballs for Halloween

Printable Recipe Card