Spooky Halloween Cupcakes

Just for a change, I thought I would do a recipe that didn't involve a restaurant. Since it's Halloween in a couple of days and I have a very intense love of miniature cakes, I thought I would make spooky Halloween cupcakes.

Spooky Halloween Cupcakes

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They're so cute, and extremely yummi!! And if you listen really carefully the multi-eyed monsters groan when you bite into them.

So here is the recipe. I'll also explain how I decorated each one.

I thought I would go for a cake that was very dramatic, what better than red velvet cake? I know, I know, its traditionally used for Valentines day, but I thought the intense red would make the cupcakes look like they are bleeding when you bite into them. Just the type of effect I was looking for.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C. Line muffin tray with paper cupcake holders.

1. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

2. In another bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs vanilla, vinegar and food colouring.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Continue mixing until a smooth batter is formed.

4. Fill cupcake holders 3/4 full. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until centers spring back when lightly touched.

5. Remove cupcakes from tray and cool completely.

Cupcakes after they come out of the oven

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FROSTING

Enough to frost 24 cupcakes, this is the basic frosting recipe. From here you can colour it to your heart content.

150 grams butter (softened)
250 grams pure icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp hot water

1. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with a hand held mixer until mixture is smooth.

2. Add vanilla and water, continue to beat until icing is fluffy.

Now, onto the little creeps!!

Multi-eyed Blue Monster
You will need:

Blue frosting

Red or pink lollies cut into a tongue

Mini-marshmallows

Black food dye for eyes pupils

I choose a blue monster because it reminded me of the cookie monster from sesame street. I used regular marshmallows for the eyes, a really good tip is to dip your scissors/knife in some icing sugar, it will stop the marshmallow from sticking to the blade.

Creepy Red Back Spiders

You will need
Green frosting
Jaffa's
Licorice tape
Black food dye for the strip on the spiders back
Red frosting in tubes (can purchase these from the supermarket)

To make the head, take a piece of the licorice tape and cut into a circle. Similar with the legs, cut tape into strips and arrange in a spider "formation"

Volcano airplane crash

You will need:

Orange frosting

Marshmallow

Airplane lollies

yellow and red frosting in tubes

To make the volcano, shape the marshmallow into a cone by cutting away an edge. Make a small hole in the top to make a crater.

Blood shot eye balls

You will need:

Basic frosting

marshmallow cut into thirds

Red frosting in a tube

Black food dye for pupil

This one is pretty simple, just arrange all the items and paint on the veins. Looks pretty impressive.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!