Halloween Cupcakes

To make these Halloween cupcakes, start by preparing the ingredients for the cupcake batter.

Pour the almond flour into the stand mixer bowl.

Add the flour...

...the baking powder and baking soda mixed together...

...as well as the brown sugar...

...and mix all these dry ingredients together using the whisk attachment.

Add the cold milk...

...then the rum...

...the whole egg...

...and the cooled melted butter. Add these while continuing to mix at low speed.

Pour this cupcake batter into a piping bag.

Place 12 cupcake liners on a perforated baking sheet.

Fill the bottom of each liner with a little batter.

Place a square of Gianduja chocolate in the centre.

Cover the Gianduja with the remaining cupcake batter...

...as shown in the photo.

Bake in a preheated fan-assisted oven at 200°C (lower the temperature to 180°C as soon as you put the cupcakes in) and bake for about 20 minutes. The baking time may vary.

Meanwhile, draw spiderwebs on a sheet of parchment paper using a black marker. These webs should be roughly the same diameter as the cupcakes.

Flip the sheet of parchment paper over onto a baking sheet so that the ink is not in contact with the royal icing.

Royal icing: Pour the icing sugar and egg white into a bowl...

...and mix vigorously using a spatula. There should be no lumps.

Pour the royal icing into a decorating paper cone (you can make a decorating cone yourself by rolling a sheet of parchment paper).

Pour the royal icing into a decorating cone (seal it tightly at the top)...

...and snip off the tip using scissors to create a very fine opening.

Pipe the royal icing to trace the spiderwebs following the outline on the parchment paper.

This is what the result should look like.

Repeat for all spiderwebs. They will need to dry either at room temperature overnight (if you make them the day before), or in an oven preheated to 40°C for 1 hour to speed up the drying process.

Chocolate glaze: Place the dark chocolate pistoles in a saucepan. Add the milk and butter.

Heat over very low heat to melt everything together, stirring with a spatula.

Once the butter and dark chocolate have melted, add the icing sugar and mix again until smooth and homogeneous. Then transfer the chocolate glaze to a container and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

When cooked, remove the cupcakes from the oven.

This is what the result should look like.

After 1 hour, the royal icing spiderwebs are completely dry and ready to use.

Take the chocolate glaze out of the fridge. It should be soft enough to spread easily. Pour a knob of glaze over each cupcake...

...and spread it out using a mini offset spatula.

Gently peel off the dried spiderwebs using the blade of a knife or the offset spatula...

...and arrange them onto the chocolate glaze before it sets.

Our Halloween cupcakes are ready to be devoured! Store at room temperature (do not refrigerate, or they will harden and the royal icing will melt).