Red Velvet Devil Cupcakes for Halloween

Perhaps you already know but I will say it anyway, I’m a huge fan of Halloween! I really like this time of the year, as well as the fact that everyone is trying to think of a more creative way to shape and serve the treats. Someday I’ll try to make cupcakes decorated like Bulgarian ‘kukeri’ – costumed men and women who perform traditional rituals to scare away the evil spirits. The problem is that our kuker masks and ornaments are so detailed that I am not sure I’ll be able to make them look good in the form of a dessert. Besides, they’re expected to be very scary, and the desserts we’re making are actually cute and adorable. Enough about that, it’s time to talk about these delightful little Halloween Devil Cupcakes. The base for the cupcakes is Red Velvet, we added a couple of red colour drops into the frosting, and the devil horns are made of black fondant.

Ingredients:

• 200 g butter, softened
• 200 g sugar
• 185 g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp red colouring
• ¼ tsp salt

Ingredients for the Devil Cupcakes decoration:

• 250 g cream cheese
• 100 g butter, softened
• 90 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp red colouring
• 70 g black fondant

Devil Cupcakes Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Place paper cups into a muffin tin.
2. In a big bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a separate bowl, then add them gradually to the butter mixture and continue beating.
4. Add in the red colouring and salt, and mix until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
5. Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and fill them up to 3/4. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Leave them to cool down in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them onto a cooling rack until completely cool.

Frosting Preparation:

1. In a bowl mix together the butter and cream cheese. Gradually add in the sifted icing sugar and continue mixing until a smooth and fluffy cream is formed.
2. Mix in the red colouring. If you would like to get a very bright red colour, add in a few more drops.
3. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.

Devil Cupcakes Decoration:

1. Divide the fondant into 24 equal sized parts. Roll each of them between your palms and shape small balls.
2. Press a ball with your fingers and start pulling one side gently to shape a devil horn. Make one side longer and thinner so you can stick it into the frosting. Repeat until you run out.
3. Finish decorating your Devil Cupcakes by placing all horns. Put them in the fridge  for the frosting to harden a bit.

Bon appetit!