I’ve been hit with a barrage of Halloween inspiration lately. It seems like this year especially, there are endless amazing Halloween treat options. There’ cookies, cupcakes, of course pumpkin shaped goodies and chocolates. There’s no excuse for settling for that bag of mini Snickers bars for my Halloween party guests.

What do you think of brainy cupcakes? Simple Red Velvet Cupcakes with an appropriately dyed Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. You might also want to try a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and skip the food coloring. Using a pastry tip, squiggle the frosting on either side of the cupcake, creating a right and left brain. It’s simple, delicious, and just a little creepy.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Clare Crespo

makes 14- 18 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces water
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake tins as directed as directed in the recipe you are following.

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add eggs and blend well.

4. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to the butter mixture.

5. Sift flour and salt together into this mixture.

6. One at a time, add the following ingredients: buttermilk, vanilla, and water.

7. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Fold it into the cake batter. Make sure it’s incorporated, but don’t beat it.

8. Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes out of the tins and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Clare Crespo

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth.

2. Add the powdered sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy.

Brainy Cupcakes

Pink or white paper cupcake liners
1 recipe batter for Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
Red and black food coloring
Pastry bag and large round tip

1. Line cupcake tins with the liners. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter and bake the cupcakes as directed in the recipe.

2. Mix a drop of red and black food coloring into the frosting to make it a pinkish gray brain color.

3. Using the pastry bag, pipe the frosting in a squiggly pile on half of each cupcake top (brains have two hemispheres, you know). Now pipe the frosting in a squiggly pile on the other half of the cupcake top.

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Tags | baking, cupcakes, Entertaining, Halloween, red velvet