Halloween Cupcakes

Happy nearly Halloween everyone! This post is long overdue. Not just because it's been far too long since my last baking post but also because apart from the usual Autumnal header, we've been seriously lacking Halloween and general seasonal content on Megan Jean this year. So this year I've got an exciting one for you. Though they have a delicious orange chocolate chip sponge and smooth vanilla buttercream, if anything these cupcakes are purely style over substance. (I'm sorry Paul) But if you can't go overboard with the food colouring and fondant icing at Halloween, then really, when can you? They're also super easy to make and can be adapted to all sorts of different designs and seasons. So keep reading to find out how I made these spookily good cupcakes.

Firstly, this recipe is designed to make 12 cupcakes but as my cases were a little bigger, I just made 9. It's totally up to you as to whether you want 12 smaller fairycakes or something a little heftier. My motto with cake is go big or go home. You will need:

100g softened unsalted butter

150g self raising flower (sifted)

150g caster sugar (sifted)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

zest of one large orange (alternatively you can use orange extract)

100g milk chocolate chips

3 tablespoons of milk

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C fan and line a cupcake tray with 12 (or 9) cases.

2. Cream together your butter and sugar, then mix in your flour, eggs, milk and baking powder.

3. Add your chocolate chips and orange zest and mix until totally combined.

4. Separate between your cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. A knife should come out clean when inserted into the center. (The bigger your cupcakes the longer they'll take, just keep an eye on them without opening the oven too much). 

Once your cakes are totally cooled then you get to the exciting bit, the decoration. I used a combination of coloured buttercream and fondant icing to create my pumpkins, devil horns and spiders. You could do any colour combinations or decorations from witches hats, bats, cauldrons, eyeballs, etc. For this incredibly bright icing I used Wilton Paste Food Colouring, it creates a much brighter colour than liquid and natural food colouring whilst also not altering the consistency or flavour of your buttercream too much. All my cases, colourings and fondant icing was ordered from Cake Craft World, they have a huge selection of products for all your baking needs, I would highly recommend them. 

For this recipe I reduced my usual buttercream measurements by a quarter as I only had 9 cakes. For the usual buttercream ingredients for 12 cakes have a look at my older baking posts here. If you've done 9 cakes like me you will need:

450g sifted icing sugar

225g softened unsalted butter

1/2 a teaspoon vanilla extract

colourings of your choice

piping bags and nozzle of your choice

1. Cream together the butter and icing sugar until smooth.

2. Combine with the vanilla extract.

3. Split buttercream between three bowls and colour as desired.

4. Decorate! Go wild! 

The pumpkins, spiders and horns are just made with a little patience and some fondant or ready to roll icing. For the pumpkins, roll a ball of orange fondant and squash ever so slightly, then taking a cocktail stick score down the edges and top with a small bit of green icing for your stalk. If you don't have edible glue then water also works to stick any separate elements together. 

Will you be making any tasty Halloween treats this year?