Chocolate fudge cake with mini chocolate chips, cream cheese frosting, edible glitter, chocolate spiderwebs, and spooky molded chocolate spiders.

This Spooky Spider Cake is the ultimate Halloween dessert—moist, chocolatey, and crawling with sweet little surprises. It starts with a rich chocolate fudge cake base, it gets topped with cream cheese frosting, and finishes with glittery sugar, chocolate spiderwebs, and creepy-cute molded spiders. Perfect for haunted parties, family fun, or a themed bake night, this Spooky Spider Cake brings the fun (and the fright) to your Halloween table.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It starts with a box of chocolate fudge cake mix for easy prep.
• The cream cheese frosting is smooth, creamy, and perfectly sweet.
• Chocolate spiderwebs and molded spiders make it a showstopper.
• It’s kid-friendly and great for Halloween parties or bake nights.
• Glittery sugar adds an eye-catching, magical finish.
• This spooky spider cake is fun to decorate and even more fun to eat.

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix – Any standard 15.25 oz box works, but chocolate fudge adds extra richness.
• Instant Chocolate Pudding – Just the dry mix! This makes the cake extra moist and dense.
• Cream Cheese – Use full-fat block cream cheese (not whipped or spreadable) for the best frosting texture.
• Pearl or Silver Glittery Sugar – Adds sparkle and texture. You can find it at most craft stores or online. I love Bakery Bling!
• Dark Chocolate Melts – Ghirardelli dark chocolate melts are smooth and easy to work with, perfect for spiderwebs and molds.
• Spider Web Mold – This spider mold creates detailed chocolate spiders for decorating.
• Squeeze Bottle – A small-tip squeeze bottle makes piping spiderwebs easy and mess-free.
• Gray Food Coloring – Just a drop or two of black gel coloring creates a spooky gray shade for the border.

Before You Bake

Do I need to prepare the spider molds ahead of time?
Yes—melt the chocolate and fill the molds first so they have time to set in the fridge while you bake and cool the cake.

Can I use homemade cake instead of boxed mix?
Absolutely! A homemade chocolate fudge cake will work just fine—just keep the texture rich and sturdy enough for frosting and toppings.

Do I need a mixer for the frosting?
A hand or stand mixer is best for achieving a smooth, fluffy cream cheese frosting. Mixing by hand won’t give the same airy texture.

Spooky Spider Cake

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• Author: Taryn Camp

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake:

• 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1 (3.9 oz) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

 

Frosting:

• 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, cool
• 3½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Decorations:

• Gray gel food coloring
• Mini chocolate chips (for the border)
• Pearl or silver glittery sugar (for sparkle)
• Dark chocolate melts (like Ghirardelli)
• Spider web silicone mold 
• Squeeze bottle with small tip – Sweet Sugarbelle or similar

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Spiders:

1. Melt dark chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
2. Pour into spider mold cavities and place in the fridge until set.

 

Bake the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 13×9-inch pan (or disposable pan) with baking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and oil until smooth. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake according to cake mix instructions.
5. Let the cake cool completely.

 

Make the Frosting:

1. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
2. Spread about ¾ of the frosting over the cooled cake. Reserve the rest for the border. (If you’d like less frosting on the cake, just use as much as you’d like and save the rest for another project.)

 

Decorate:

1. Sprinkle glittery sugar over the frosting for a magically spooky shimmer.
2. Melt more dark chocolate and pour into a squeeze bottle.
3. Pipe spiderwebs directly onto the cake: start with a plus sign, add an X over it, then swoop curved lines between the spokes to form webs.
4. Carefully unmold chocolate spiders and place them between the webs.
5. Tint the remaining frosting with gray food coloring until you get a medium spooky shade.
6. Pipe a border using a 1M star tip. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the border for texture.

FAQ

Can I make the Spooky Spider Cake ahead of time?
Yes! Bake and frost the cake the night before. Add the chocolate spiderwebs and molded spiders just before serving to keep them crisp.

How do I store leftovers?
Cover the cake tightly and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze this cake?
You can freeze the unfrosted cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Frost and decorate after thawing completely.

What size pan should I use?
A standard 13×9-inch pan works perfectly. You can also use a disposable foil pan for easy cleanup.

What kind of food coloring works best for gray frosting?
Use a black gel-based food coloring and add a tiny amount at a time. It will blend into a medium gray without making the frosting runny.

Sprinkle of Fun

Turn your kitchen into a haunted bakery and whip up this Spooky Spider Cake as the centerpiece for an extra spooky Halloween movie night. While it chills in the fridge, set the scene with dim lighting, fake cobwebs, and your favorite creepy classics. Serve the cake with cold milk or spooky punch, and let everyone pick their own slice topped with a chocolate spider. It’s the perfect mix of fright and delight for a festive night in!