Wicked Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined., Fill paper- or foil-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , Tint frosting green; frost cupcakes. For hats, combine frosting and milk; tint with food coloring. Frost ice cream cones. Using small cookie cutters, cut out shapes from Fruit Roll-Ups; arrange on hats. Add licorice for hair and candies for faces. Place a hat on each witch.

Steps:

• Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Line cupcake tins with 12 paper liners; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for two minutes. (Alternatively, combine ingredients in a large bowl, then beat with a hand-held electric mixer.) Add boiling water and beat to combine (batter will be thin). Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Buttercream Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Begin beating on low speed, increasing to high for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Using food coloring, tint the icing dirty green.
• Using a melon baller, scoop out the center of each cupcake, and fill with candy-coated chocolates, if desired.
• Cover the tops of each cupcake with a generous mound (about 1/3 cup) of buttercream. Insert one candy corn into each cupcake to form a nose. Insert two candy-coated chocolates into each cupcake to form eyes. Place two 1/2-inch lengths of licorice above the eyes to form eyebrows for the witch. Place the 1/4-inch licorice lengths above the eyebrows to form bangs. Place an inverted cone on top of bangs, pressing gently into buttercream to adhere. Place the 2-inch licorice lengths under the cone hat to form the hair. Decorated cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place mini paper baking cup in each of 24 mini muffin cups. In a medium bowl, beat cake mix, water, 3 tablespoons oil and the egg with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In 3 small microwavable bowls, microwave each color of candy melts separately on Medium (50%) 1 minute, stirring once, until melted. Stir 1 teaspoon oil into each bowl until blended.
• Dip two-thirds of pointed end of each Bugle snack into orange coating. Place on waxed paper; freeze 5 minutes or until set. Dip pointed tips into white coating; freeze 5 minutes or until set. Dip wide ends into yellow coating. Gently press yellow end of each snack onto center of each sandwich cookie; let stand until set.
• Tint frosting with food color. In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on High 10 to 20 seconds or until thin enough to pour. Frost cupcakes, allowing frosting to drip down sides. Top each cupcake with witch hat cookie.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Set liners in muffin cups.
• Put the chocolate and prune juice in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on low power, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and yolk with an electric hand mixer at high speed until slightly thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Slowly add buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter among muffin tins, filling them 1/2 of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk mixing until the frosting is smooth. Add food coloring as desired. Refrigerate the frosting until firm.
• To decorate the cakes: For the witches hat, score a circle in the middle of a cupcake. Cut a deep cone-like shape with a knife held at an angle. Rotate the cupcake to complete the circle and remove the center. Repeat with all the cupcakes. Generously scoop or pipe enough frosting into the center of each cupcake to fill the hole and to come over the cake to make a face. Top with a chocolate wafer cookie. Put a dot of frosting in the middle of the wafer cookie and invert the cone shaped piece of cake on top to make a witches hat. Use skinny licorice, toasted coconut or cereal flakes for hair and candies for eyes and/or nose. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.