My Completely Batty Chocolate Cupcakes
You can buy Halloween cupcake cases and googly icing eyes from large supermarkets and specialist cake baking shops
Servings: 18 Cupcakes
Equipment
- Halloween cupcake cases or liners
- Cupcake or deep Muffin Tins
- Piping Bags
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 210 ml Full fat Jersey Milk
- 210 gr Plain Flour
- 220 gr Caster Sugar
- 120 gr good quality Cocoa Powder
- 80 gr Milk Chocolate Drops
- 70 g soft Unsalted Jersey Butter
- 2 large free-range Eggs
- 1 scant tablespoon of Baking Powder
- A good pinch of Salt
For the Icing
- 400 gr Icing Sugar
- 100 gr Cocoa Powder
- 160 gr soft Unsalted Butter
- 2 teaspoons quality Vanilla extract
- 50 ml Full Fat Milk
For the Decorations
- 4 Oreo Chocolate Biscuits
- 8 large Chocolate Drops or Buttons
- 8 pairs Edible icing Eyes
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 330 °F and line the baking trays with large paper cases.
- Using an electric mixer or food processor mix the butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together until they form a sandy, crumb-like texture.
- In a bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. With the mixer on a slow speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined and the batter is smooth and thick.
- Once all the lumps are gone gradually pour in the remaining liquid and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the milk chocolate buttons.
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared cases and bake in the oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before removing them from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool.
To Decorate
- Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the butter, beat together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Heat the milk until scalding in a microwave and in a jug, mix in the vanilla and stir until it is all combined and allow to cool.
- Gradually pour the cold milk and vanilla into the icing while mixing on a slow speed, then turn the mixer up to a high speed and beat the icing until light and fluffy.
- Scoop the whipped-up icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle, ready to ice the completely cool cupcakes. For the ghosts pipe a large swirl onto the cupcakes.
- Carefully separate the Oreo cookies and scrape off the icing, Then gently cut each biscuit in half with a small serrated knife. Cut the chocolate buttons in half too.
- Decorate the cupcakes as per the picture.
