What holiday is complete without a special treat? …….trick or treat. Cauldron Cupcakes!
I was inspired by a Pinterest pin from House of Yumm. These cupcakes are so flipping cute.
I knew this had to be something I tried. I used my own dark chocolate cake recipe. Dark cocoa powder, with dark melted chocolate, and strong brewed espresso make decadent cupcakes. Moist and super dark chocolatey.
Everyone has a recipe for buttercream frosting, but they are all pretty basic…butter, powdered sugar, and flavoring. I like a blend of vanilla and almond extract. My key is to whip the dickens out of it. I whip it for like 5 to 7 minutes to get it really fluffy.
The decorations are what make these so cute. Wilton has a large variety of edible decorations and a company called SweetWorks has a wonderful selection of edible decorations, with a line made out of Sixlets. If you have never had Sixlets, well all I can can say is you do not know what you are missing.
Hard candy coating and a chocolate inside with a slight malt taste. They are sold in cellophane tubes, I loved them when I was a kid. They are now sold in the cake decorating aisle in the grocery store. Beautiful colors, they add a touch of class to anything you bake and decorate.
Once the cupcakes are frosted……after you watch the video I found at i am baker that shows how to get a perfect swirl on top of a cupcake, add the bubbles to of your cauldron, using different sizes and colors to create a bubbling witches cauldron.
I used red striped birthdays candles for witch legs and added witches shoes using a dab of frosting. Goggly eyes just add to the fun and seem to be all the rage in Halloween baked treats this year.
So, be creative and brew up a bubbly bunch of Cauldron Cupcakes for Halloween.
Print
Cauldron Cupcakes
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
- Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup brewed espresso
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 –4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream
- pinch salt
- Decorations
- Edible balls of caring sizes in different shades of green
- Goofy eye
- anything witchy
Instructions
- Cupcakes:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined
- Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, melted dark chocolate, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners filling 2/3 of the way.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Frosting:
- Beat butter in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and almond extract.
- With mixer on low, slowly add in powdered sugar , milk, and salt; frequently scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
- Once incorporated, whip frosting for at least 3 minutes on medium high to high, or until light and fluffy.
- If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk.
- Assembly:
- Tint frosting with a lime green gel color. Use small amounts of coloring at a time as the color is very intense.
- I found this video at i am baker http://iambaker.net/perfect-frosting-swirls/ that shows how to get a perfect swirl on top of a cupcake.
- Frost cupcakes, and decorate with differing sizes of green edible candies, and google eyeballs. Wilton has a nice variety.
- For the witches legs I use small red striped candles and attached with shoes with frosting.
Notes
Recipe will make two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan instead of cupcakes.
