Spider Cake

Preparation

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture a little at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour
• 2
  Line a large muffin tray with 10 paper cases and fill each one until two thirds full. Bake the muffins for 20 to 22 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the muffins and place on a wire cooking rack.
• 3
  When cool, spread a little chocolate buttercream over each of the cupcakes and then sprinkle with chocolate flavoured strands.
• 4
  To make the legs, take the Mikado chocolate sticks and cut off the piece not covered with chocolate. Cut a quarter of the sticks in half. Stick four short lengths of Mikado sticks on each side of the spider's body, then melt the chocolate, dip one en
• 5
  Arange them on trays or baking sheets lined with greaseproof or baking paper and allow the chocolate to set- the melted chocolate will harden as it cools keeping the legs stuck together. Push one end of the legs into the body of the spider and then r