Description
These Vampire Bite Halloween Cupcakes are a spooky and delicious treat perfect for Halloween celebrations. Featuring rich cocoa cupcakes filled with a creamy, blood-red cream cheese filling and topped with skin-tone frosting, these cupcakes are finished with realistic vampire bite marks using red gel icing. The combination of deep chocolate flavor, tangy filling, and smooth frosting makes them both visually striking and irresistible.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Red food coloring (gel recommended)
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Peach or ivory food coloring
Decoration
- Red gel icing or syrup (for vampire bite effect)
- Toothpick (for making puncture marks)
- Optional: candy vampire fangs or extra ‘blood’ drips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners to ready it for baking.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure even mixing and avoid lumps.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, which helps create a light texture.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk to the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Then mix in the vinegar, red food coloring, and vanilla extract thoroughly to get the vibrant red hue and flavor.
- Fill and Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting to prevent melting and soggy texture.
- Prepare Filling: Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Gently fold in the heavy cream that has been whipped to soft peaks. Tint this filling with gel red food coloring to create a bloody appearance.
- Fill Cupcakes: Core out the center of each cooled cupcake and spoon the red cream cheese filling inside for a surprising vampire bite effect.
- Make Frosting: Whip the unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar while continuing to whip. Then add 3 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream to reach spreading consistency, and tint the frosting with peach or ivory food coloring to mimic skin tone.
- Frost Cupcakes: Smoothly frost the cupcakes with the tinted buttercream, covering the filled centers to create a skin-like appearance.
- Create Vampire Bites: Use a toothpick to poke two small puncture marks side by side on each cupcake’s frosting. Drop red gel icing or syrup into these holes and allow it to drip slightly for a realistic vampire bite look.
- Optional Decoration: For an extra spooky effect, add candy vampire fangs near the bites or drizzle more red gel icing around the cupcake.
Notes
- Chill the cupcakes before filling to prevent the filling from making the cupcake soggy.
- Red gel icing is recommended for the vampire bite effect as it provides the most realistic blood-like drips.
- You can substitute the cream cheese filling with raspberry jam or strawberry coulis for a fruity alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
