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Description
These Vampire Cupcakes are a fun and festive treat, perfect for Halloween or anyone who loves a spooky dessert. They feature a rich chocolate cupcake with a strawberry jelly filling, topped with a creamy marshmallow frosting and decorated to resemble a vampire’s bite.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
- Red gel food coloring
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
- 2 cups (230 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup crushed chocolate graham crackers (from about 8 sheets) or chocolate wafer cookies
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir espresso powder and 1/2 cup hot water. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, into a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg, milk, oil, and vanilla on medium speed until just combined.
- Add granulated sugar and espresso mixture and beat until incorporated.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until glossy. Batter will be runny.
- Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Using a melon baller, scoop out a round from the top of each cupcake about 3/4 inch deep (chef’s snack!).
- In a small bowl, whisk jelly and 1 to 2 drops food coloring, adding more food coloring if needed, until desired color is reached.
- Fill each hole in cupcakes with 1 tsp jelly mixture; refrigerate remaining jelly mixture until ready to use.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Turn mixer off and add Marshmallow Fluff. Beat on low speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
- Beat in vanilla extract and salt until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Cover filled cupcakes with a thin layer of frosting to seal in the jelly.
- Chill cupcakes for 20 minutes.
- Frost the tops smoothly.
- Place a parchment paper heart-shaped stencil on top, then roll the frosted surface in cookie crumbs to make Dracula’s ‘hairline’.
- For a simpler decoration, poke 2 holes into the frosting on each cupcake using the end of a plastic straw to resemble vampire bites, making sure you hit the cupcake and not the jam-filled hole. Drizzle the remaining jam into the holes to resemble blood.
Notes
- Ensure the butter for the frosting is softened but not melted for the best texture.
- Chilling the cupcakes before frosting helps the frosting adhere better.
- Adjust the amount of red gel food coloring to achieve your desired shade of ‘blood’.
- If you don’t have a melon baller, a small spoon can be used to scoop out the center of the cupcakes.
- For the ‘hairline’ decoration, you can also use finely chopped chocolate cookies or even black sanding sugar.