Description
These Stamped Halloween Cupcakes are a spooky and fun treat featuring four creative designs: mummies, monsters, vampires, and Frankensteins. Crafted with rich chocolate cupcakes filled and decorated with colorful frostings, candy eyes, sprinkles, and themed fillings like cherry pie, these cupcakes bring festive Halloween spirit to any party.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 oz coconut oil (1/4 cup) or substitute vegetable oil
- 1 cup coffee or water (8 fl oz)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk (8 fl oz), room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (9 oz)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (2 oz)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar (24 oz)
- 6-8 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Assorted gel food coloring (purple, green, yellow, orange, blue, etc.)
Decorations and Fillings
- 24 candy eyeballs
- 1 can cherry pie filling (for vampires)
- 1 cup bone-shaped sprinkles (for mummies)
- 1 cup chocolate jimmies (for Frankensteins)
- Candy fangs (for vampires)
- Chocolate chews (like Tootsie Rolls)
- Fruit chews (like Starburst or Laffy Taffy)
- Colored licorice (for monsters)
- Gummy rings (for monsters)
- Red string licorice (for Frankensteins)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Prepare your baking pans by spraying two jumbo muffin tins with nonstick spray and placing a square of parchment paper at the bottom of each cavity to ensure easy cupcake removal.
- Melt Chocolate: Place the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and continue microwaving in short intervals until fully melted and smooth. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted chocolate mixture with coffee (or water), eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure even distribution of leavening agents and prevent lumps.
- Combine Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixture. Mix until just combined; the batter will be slightly lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes until the batter becomes smooth and uniform.
- Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake tins, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until the cupcake tops spring back when gently pressed. Once baked, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
- Cream the Butter: In a clean mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until light and creamy, preparing it for the frosting base.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Flavorings: Add the powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons of heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding more cream as necessary to reach the desired smooth consistency.
- Fill Cupcakes (Mummies): Cut a small cone-shaped hole in the center of each cupcake and fill with bone-shaped sprinkles. Replace the cupcake top to seal the filling inside.
- Pipe Mummy Bandages: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small flat tip with frosting. Pipe crisscrossing lines over the cupcake top to mimic mummy bandages, leaving spaces to add candy eyeballs on top.
- Fill and Color Frosting (Monsters): Divide the remaining frosting into four portions and tint them with gel food colorings such as purple, yellow, orange, and red. Fill each cupcake hole with color-coordinated frosting and replace the cupcake top.
- Pipe Monster Fur: Using piping bags fitted with grass tips, pipe “fur” textures over the cupcakes. Adorn with candy eyes, fruit chews for noses, gummy rings or licorice pieces as ears to create monster faces.
- Fill with Blood (Vampires): Slightly blend the cherry pie filling to loosen it for easy filling. Cut open cupcakes and fill with this cherry pie filling, then top with a swirl of white frosting for contrast.
- Decorate Vampire Faces: Add candy fangs, candy eyes, and fruit chews to mimic mouths. Use a toothpick dipped in red food coloring to add dramatic blood drips off the fangs.
- Fill and Frost Frankensteins: Fill cupcakes with green-tinted frosting and smooth it over the top for a flat surface.
- Add Frankenstein Hair and Features: Press chocolate jimmies into the green frosting to create “hair.” Decorate with candy eyes, red licorice smiles, and attach chocolate chew pieces as bolts on the sides of the cupcake to complete the Frankenstein look.
Notes
- Ensure all refrigerated ingredients like eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature to ensure batter mixes evenly.
- Use parchment paper squares in muffin tins to prevent sticking and ease cupcake removal.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to maintain cupcake tenderness.
- Adjust gel food coloring amounts gradually to achieve vibrant colors without affecting frosting consistency.
- Customize decorations based on preferred Halloween themes or available candies.
- Store decorated cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Allow cupcakes to reach room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
