Brain Cupcakes

For Halloween this year I decided to make some yummy and creepy brain cupcakes.  These were rather easy to make and had such a fun look to them.  I used a simple chocolate cupcake recipe and paired it with a quick and easy-to-make butter cream frosting.  I hope you enjoy these as much as the rest of us did.

 

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, stir in the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting.

 

Butter Cream Frosting for Brain Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 pound (1 box) powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

3-4 tbls milk

In large mixing bowl cream butter.  Add vanilla and 3 tbls milk, mix well.  Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well.  Add additional milk if needed to achieve thick consistency that holds its shape well.  To get a creepy brain color add 1 drop red food color and 1 drop green food color.  Alternatively you can also use some grey food coloring paste.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip to pipe a brain pattern on each cupcake.

 

 

Brain Cupcakes