Halloween Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!

Not that we celebrate it in Australia....well not as big as America anyway. Although take one look in Target and I’m proved wrong. Maybe it’s just not a big deal since I don’t have kids, nor have any nieces/nephews/neighbours. Plus I eat junk everyday so it’s not really anything special...

Anyway, I still felt like I had to make something. So I made cupcakes, but I didn’t want to buy a bunch of toppings and cute Halloween things which I’d never use again. So yes these are relatively boring when I could have done all things spiders and ghosts, but WHATEVER GET OFF MY BACK.

I kid. They taste bonkers good so it makes up for my lack of creativity.

I made this in my lunch break yesterday. I live close enough to work where I am able to do that. It’s excellent. It also means I am close enough to go home and nap for a good while. Not that I’d know....

Tonight I’m going to see About Time (in an attempt to not be forced to give away my chocolate). You seen it? I’m a sucker for all things romantic so I’m so excited. I’ll let you know how it goes!

In the mean time, make these, and you have fun giving away your chocolates ;)

Cupcake recipe adapted from Bakerella (can she do no wrong?!)

Cupcakes 1 1/2 cups plain flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 1/3 cup sugar 1tsp baking soda 1/2tsp baking powder Pinch salt 2 eggs 1/3 cup oil Dash vanilla 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup hot water

Frosting 125g butter, softened 2 cups icing sugar 1tbspn meringue powder Dash vanilla Food colouring

Line a cupcake tray with 24 liners. Preheat the oven to 180^o.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Be sure to sift the dry ingredients.

Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add 2/3 cup hot water and mix. It will be very liquid.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Easier to transfer to a jug and pour into liners.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The cupcakes look very shiny when done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.

Sift together the icing sugar and meringue powder.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add the dash of vanilla and mix for a few second. Slowly add the sugar mixture. When it looks nearly mixed, add the food colouring. I used about 2-3 squirts of Americolour Orange Gel Paste.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes!

(as you can see, these are really only made Halloween with the use of orange and black and really can be made for any occasion/Wednesday night)