Chocolate Orange Spider Cupcakes

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 10 paper liners. In an electric mixer, beat together the room-temperature butter and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the self-rising flour with the cocoa powder. Gradually beat the lightly beaten eggs into the butter mixture, adding a spoonful of the flour mixture along with the second egg to prevent curdling. Fold in the orange zest and the remaining flour, then stir in the bittersweet chocolate chips.
2. Fill each paper liner about two-thirds full with the batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Spread a little store-bought chocolate frosting over each cooled cupcake, then dip the frosted top into a bowl of chocolate sprinkles so they stick. For the spider legs, take the Pocky sticks and cut off the chocolate-free end. Cut about a quarter of those sticks in half to make short pieces. Arrange four short Pocky stick halves on each side of the cupcake to form legs. Melt the remaining bittersweet chocolate chips. Dip one end of each short and remaining long Pocky stick into the melted chocolate, then place them on parchment-lined trays at roughly a 100-degree angle so the chocolate hardens and holds the sticks together. Once set, push the short end into the cupcake to attach, repeating until you have four legs on each side. Add two Licorice Allsort pieces for eyes.