We are not doing too much for Halloween this year....just planning on handing out candy to all the cute little trick or treaters. But of course I had to use the adorable cupcake wrappers and boxes I had purchased earlier this month. :)
Last year I made Red Velvet "Brain" cupcakes for Michael to take into work and I couldn't pass up the chance to make them again. I also wanted to attempt these "Bleeding Vampire Bite" cupcakes I have been seeing around. Both were a great success!!! And gone already...
For the Red Velvet Cupcakes I used a recipe from My Baking Addiction.
The fabulous part about this recipe is that it only makes 12 cupcakes!
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
For the Cupcakes
1 cup cake flour1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cupcake wells with paper liners or spray pan with
spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,
combine oil and sugar
until well-blended. Add egg and mix until
combined.
4. Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed add vanilla then slowly
add in the food
coloring. Note:If you are using liquid food coloring, it
will take about 2 tablespoons of
coloring to get a dark red shade. I
used about 1 tablespoon of gel dye to achieve the
shade in the
photographs. Add the dye slowly and color according to your preference.
5. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches;
scrape down the side of
the bowl. Continue mixing until just combined,
taking care not to over mix.
6. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine
running. Beat for about 10 seconds.
7. Using a medium scoop (about 3 tablespoons), divide batter among
between the 12
wells, filling each well about 2/3 full of batter. Bake
for 20-24 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be
careful not to over bake.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 ¾ cups), sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (to maintain bright white color, I used pure vanilla extract since I was tinting them anyways)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 ¾ cups), sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (to maintain bright white color, I used pure vanilla extract since I was tinting them anyways)
Red and Blue food coloring
1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
cream together,
cream cheese, shortening, and butter until well
combined.
2. With the mixer of low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar
until thoroughly
incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and mix to
combine.
3. Use about 3 drops red food coloring and 1 drop blue food coloring to create grayish
brain matter color.
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Next, I wanted to use a pale white cake for the vampire bite cupcakes and when I found this recipe for white chocolate cupcakes I knew it would be perfect. They received so many compliments I will definitely be making them again!
White Chocolate Cupcakes
from Shauna Sever
Makes 18 cupcakes
For the cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped bar or chips
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
5 large egg whites
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped bar or chips
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
5 large egg whites
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
For the frosting
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped bar or chips
Up to 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, to taste
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped bar or chips
Up to 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, to taste
1. Position an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350
degrees.
Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners, 12 in one and 6
in the other.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until very
light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. When it’s just warm to
the touch, stir it
into the butter mixture on low speed, just until
combined–it may separate a bit, but it
will come back together.
5. With the
mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the coconut milk
in
three batches until well-blended. Transfer the batter to a medium
bowl.
6. Clean and dry the bowl of the mixer. Whip the egg whites on medium
high speed until
they reach soft peaks, about 4 minutes. Gently fold the
egg whites into the batter in
three additions.
7. Fill the muffin cups no more than 3/4 of the way full with the
batter. Bake one tin at a
time until a toothpick just comes out clean
and the tops spring back when lightly
touched, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove cupcakes from tin and place onto a cooling rack, and let
them cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt
together until light and smooth. Melt the white chocolate in a double
boiler and cool until it is just warm to the touch. Scrape the white
chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine. Taste the
icing and check the texture–if you like your icing sweeter and with a
bit more body, add in some confectioners’ sugar. Set aside.
To make Vampire Bites:
2. Use a knife to cut a small cone shape out of the center of the cupcake.
3. Fill center with pureed filling.
4. Frost cupcake and spear two holes (I used a chopstick) into the top of the cake to
create bite marks.
