. Preheat & Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two standard muffin pans with cupcake liners (about 24‰26 liners depending on size).

2. Mix the Cupcake Batter

In a large bowl, or your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine:

Devil’s Food cake mix

Instant chocolate pudding mix

Sour cream

Water

Vegetable oil

Eggs

Beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Bake the Cupcakes

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (little moist crumbs are okay, but no raw batter). Once done, let the cupcakes rest in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Make the Buttercream Frosting

In a clean mixing bowl, cream the softened butter until it’s smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Gradually add half of the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

Next, add the heavy cream and the remaining confectioners’ sugar, and beat again until the frosting is thick, creamy, and spreadable. If the frosting seems too thick, add a little more cream (½ teaspoon at a time); if too thin, add more sifted sugar.

5. Create the Chocolate Spiders

Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

Melt the chocolate melting wafers (or chips) according to package instructions.

Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag or a sealable plastic bag, snipping off a small corner.

Pipe out spider bodies and heads, then pipe on legs to create spider shapes. Add chocolate sprinkles while the chocolate is still warm to give texture (e.g. fuzzy or hairy look).

Place candy eyes on the spider faces.

Let the spiders set and fully harden at room temperature (or speed up in the fridge if needed).

6. Assemble Cupcakes

Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the buttercream using an offset spatula or piping bag (if you prefer decorative piping). Carefully peel the hardened chocolate spiders off the wax paper and place one atop each frosted cupcake.