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Halloween Mummy Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

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Need a simple treat for Halloween? These Halloween Mummy Cupcakes fit the bill; just add some candy eyes and a red simple syrup and you’ve got your ghoul!

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes

Did you notice we missed Progressive Eats last month? Seems everyone or at least most of us started having conflicts so I just decided to punt and give the group a month off. Now we should be re-energized and ready to go for the holiday season.

Heather, who blogs at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen started us off with a Halloween theme (see all links after the recipe). While I’m not the biggest participant in Halloween festivities (I am the world’s BIGGEST scaredy cat!), I have to admit I had some fun making these Halloween Mummy Cupcakes and the bloodshot eyes were pretty doggone prophetic!

I’m still recuperating from cataract surgery; of course the first eye that was operated on was so easy I sailed into the 2nd procedure like it was ‘buttah’ and it’s not been so easy.

No big complications but a bit more pain and my eye has had some swelling so I spent Friday and Saturday looking through what seemed to be gauze and only today is it really improving. On top of that, now that both are complete, I struggle to see so definitely some eyestrain.

The new lens does correct my vision but not to 20/20 so I’ll still be wearing glasses for distance since I preferred having my near vision not require them…working online and with a camera so much it’s just easier to do as I’ve always done.

The problem is I can’t get tested for new glasses for a month sooooo…yeah, it’s a bit problematic. My current glasses don’t mesh with my new eyes so until I can get a prescription set of glasses it will be weird. It will all be worth it though; I can see the future and it’s a brighter white and a sharper view and that is good!

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes

So while I made these Halloween Mummy Cupcakes thinking my neighbor kids would love them; they are a pretty fair representation of me right about now…I promise not to come to your door and scare you to death!

I did make these from scratch using my favorite Espresso Chocolate Cake recipe (makes 24 cupcakes) which everyone loves but if you want to make things easier for a kids party, go ahead and use a box mix if you prefer.

This is really all about the eyes and the red dripping blood right? I’ve seen some Mummy cupcakes (lots of them) that required you look down at the top of the cupcake to get the effect and I wanted to try something a bit different so my icing tip makes big swirls for the bandages, the eyes are candy and the blood is simply simple sugar died red.

I used a Star Tip to get the deep grooves; I got mine from Bake It Pretty but I think you can find a 1M tip at Michael’s. Once you start icing with a pastry bag and tips I promise you will never go back to a knife. The beauty of these cupcakes is that the messier the better…so no previous skill required!

The eyes are candy that I also found at Michael’s and the red is just simple syrup that I made a bit thicker than normal and colored red with a paste color.

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes

I was so pleased with how these turned out; just cute enough to look like Halloween but not so much that I had nightmares. 🙂

Do you love Halloween too? I do have a costume…maybe I need to throw a party? In any event, have a Happy Halloween…if you’re close can’t wait to see the kiddos and if not…just have fun and be safe!

Progressive Eats

Progressive Eats Halloween Menu

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we’re sharing a Halloween Menu, and our event is hosted by Heather, who blogs at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. We have dishes that show off the colors associated with Halloween, as well as some cute and creepy ideas. No matter your level of Halloween spirit, you’ll find something delicious to add to your repertoire this season!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

PIN ‘Halloween Mummy Cupcakes’

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes with Blood Syrup and Candy for Eyes

 

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes

Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups golden brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water (optional - the espresso really ups the richness of the chocolate but if making for a kids party it can be omitted if wanting to decaf the recipe)

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2-4 Tbsp half and half

For the red simple syrup:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water (this is half the normal amount for a simple syrup as I wanted it thicker)
  • Red Food coloring
  • Candy Eyes for decoration

Instructions

To Make the Cupcakes:

  1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins.
  2. Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.
  3. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
  5. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.
  6. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
  7. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops.
  8. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, approximately 14-16 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and cool completely.

To Make the Frosting:

  1. Cream the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla and blend in.
  2. Add half and half until the consistency you prefer.

To Make the Red Simple Syrup:

  1. Heat the water and sugar on medium high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add desired amount of red food coloring to get the depth of color you want (I use paste but you can use drops as well).
  2. Pour into a squirt bottle and refrigerate until cool (about 15 minutes)

To Assemble:

  1. Make sure your cupcakes are completely cool. Use a tip with indentations to get a bandage look and swirl a couple of layers on top of the cupcakes.
  2. Push in two eyes on one side of the cupcakes and drizzle with some of the red simple syrup.

Notes

I love homemade cakes and cupcakes but I also have no problem using a box cake mix in a pinch so if you're making these for a crowd, do the same. Just warm the liquid and add the espresso powder (cool before adding the the mix) to get a richer chocolate taste!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 609Total Fat: 2gCarbohydrates: 152gProtein: 3g
© Creative Culinary

 


Comments

    • When I make this as a cake I use 2 - 9" cake pans Greer. It's my favorite cake recipe so I've used it before; probably more helpful to use this: https://creative-culinary.com/coffee-chocolate-layer-cake-with-white-chocolate-mascarpone-frosting/
      Reply

      • Barb, I enjoy many things about your website. I love reading about your neighborhood, I love trying the recipes, & I LOVE that you answer my questions quickly :) Many thanks!
        Reply

        • Do you find that the mascarpone frosting is the one-and-only for this cake, or will a simple, homemade buttercream frosting do it justice as well? Thanks!

        • Buttercream would be great too...it's what I used on the cupcakes and my whole street loved them!

      • Is the frosting on the esspreso chocolate cake best made the same day as serving it? Just wondered b/c of the whipped cream component. Thanks!
        Reply

  3. Barb, You've just proved that you can cook and bake up a storm even with your eyes closed - or almost:) Anyway these are adorable. And reading the recipe for the cupcake, I can honestly say that I'd scarf down at least one even with those ghoulish eyes. (Like you, I'm kind of a scaredy cat.)
    Reply

  4. Those are so cute and I love that they would be so easy to decorate! I already have some of those candy eyes and I'm never sure what to do with them.
    Reply

    • I had these leftover from something else I made last year Nicole and it seems that Halloween needed to happen for me to use them again. The kids LOVED them! They are easy to decorate; a real plus when you're doing 2 dozen that's for sure. Hope you try them...the cupcake isn't half bad either. :)
      Reply

    • Thanks Colleen; I love that they were good AND easy and the kids sure loved them...all that really mattered. :)
      Reply

  7. So sorry eye #2 is giving you a bit harder time, but I'm so glad you're done and your vision is getting better and sharper every day. Hopefully you'll be able to get your new glasses soon! These guys are too cute--I love their eyes. They all look a little concerned, which is how I would look if I had blood dripping down my head too! lol Happy Halloween--I bet the kiddos in your neighborhood were happy to help you eat these little guys!
    Reply

    • I sent out a text to my neighbors with photos and the kids wanted the parents to run to my house NOW...even though they were headed to bed. I think the kiddos and their parents are always happy to help me with sweets overload...because if not I would HAVE to eat them for breakfast every day. I could...but I shouldn't so it works! Eye is better. Still, will be glad when this is over. Today is the first day that I start putting the same number of drops in each eye just twice a day...I'm just celebrating that my phone alarm won't be bothering me nonstop!
      Reply

    • I know you're right but what a struggle...I think I need to take more regular breaks; I am straining my poor eyes a bit too much. I can't see as well up close which is what I need so being patient? Well, not exactly my forte! :)
      Reply

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I’m Barbara Kiebel, the cook, photographer, author, and everyday eater at Creative Culinary. I hope you enjoy the recipes I prepare for family and friends and appreciate every one of you that come visit my virtual home! Read More…

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