Arachnophobes, be warned—this recipe may not be for you! In the short story “The Red Spot” from the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a young girl wakes up with a peculiar blemish after discovering a spider crawling on her cheek.
During a hot, relaxing bath, the blemish bursts, unleashing a swarm of tiny spiders that had hatched from the eggs their mother had laid in her face!
My recipe for “The Red Spot” cupcakes features large chewy tapioca “spider eggs” and cherry pie filling “blood” festering beneath a slightly crunchy, caramelized “skin,” topped with a candy spider. They’re the perfect treat to enjoy while watching the new Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie!
This recipe was featured in issue #189 of Rue Morgue Magazine, and was previously featured on Rue Morgue TV!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark “The Red Spot” Spider Egg Cupcakes
- Yield8 cupcakes
- Serving Size1 cupcake
- Energy424 cal
What You Need:
Cupcakes
- ¾ Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, heaping
- ½ teaspoon baking powder, heaping
- ⅜ Cup salted butter, softened
- 2 egg whites
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
- ¼ Cup sour cream
- ¼ Cup heavy cream
Buttercream Icing
- 2 Cup confectioners sugar
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoon heavy cream
- Flesh-toned gel food coloring
Additional Supplies & Ingredients
- 4 oz. cherry pie filling
- ¼ Cup large pearl tapioca, cooked to package directions
- Large pastry bag fitted with round tip
- Granulated sugar
- Culinary torch
- Spider-shaped candy mold
- Black candy melts
What To Do:
For the Cupcakes
The day before, prepare the cupcakes: begin by preheating your oven to 350° Line a cupcake pan with 8 cupcake liners.
In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing just until combined.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to fully cool. These cupcakes are best served the day after baking.
For the Buttercream Icing
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light yellow and fluffy. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar. Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste. Add a small amount of gel food coloring to get the desired flesh tone. Transfer the icing to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.
Assembling the Cupcakes
Before assembling, cook the tapioca pearls to package directions. Allow to cool.
Using the end of a large pastry tip, hollow out a small portion of each cupcake. Add a small amount of cherry pie filling to each hollow, topping with tapioca and additional cherry pie filling.
Pipe buttercream icing around the edge of each cupcake. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into granulated sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
While the cupcakes are chilling, melt the candy melts and pour into moulds. Refrigerate until hardened and remove from moulds.
Once the icing has hardened, use a culinary torch to caramelize the sugar on the tops of the cupcakes. Allow to cool before adding the candy spiders to each cupcake, and serve.
