Description
Delightfully spooky and delicious, these Eyeball Cupcakes feature rich chocolate cupcakes topped with fluffy buttercream frosting and decorated with candy eyeballs and a piping of bloody jelly for a fun Halloween treat or themed party dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (63g) cocoa powder, natural unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules such as Folger’s, optional
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (297g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (236ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (118ml) hot tap water
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, 3 sticks, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups (227-339g) powdered sugar
- dash milk or heavy cream if frosting becomes too thick
Bloody Jelly
- ½ cup raspberry or strawberry seedless jam
- Red gel food coloring
- Water, if needed
Decoration
- Large candy eyeballs
- Wilton 4 piping tip
- Piping bag
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.
- Add Liquids and Dry Ingredients: Add half of the buttermilk and beat for about 20 seconds. Add half of the dry ingredients and beat again. Then, add the remaining buttermilk and hot water, mixing just until combined. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until fully combined.
- Bake Cupcakes: Fill muffin liners halfway full with batter. Bake for 19 minutes at 350º F or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cupcakes cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat butter and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed until combined. If frosting is too thick, add a dash of milk or heavy cream. For extra fluffiness, add 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream with the last powdered sugar and whip for 3-4 minutes.
- Make Bloody Jelly: In a small bowl, combine jam and red gel food coloring to create the blood effect. Add 1 teaspoon of water if the mixture is too thick.
- Assemble Cupcakes: Spread a generous amount of frosting on each cooled cupcake. Place one large candy eyeball in the center. Transfer the bloody jelly to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 4 tip and pipe blood vessels extending from the eyeball. Repeat for all cupcakes.
Notes
- You can use either natural unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder depending on your preference; Dutch processed will give a smoother chocolate flavor.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- The instant coffee granules are optional but enhance the chocolate flavor remarkably.
- For a thinner frosting, add milk or heavy cream gradually; do not add too much to avoid a runny consistency.
- Use a piping bag and a fine tip for the jelly to create realistic blood vessels around the eyeballs.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
