Take a bite out of these vampire-themed cupcakes and enjoy a wonderful "bloody" surprise inside.
The bright red-colored filling and the rich black chocolate cupcakes are a treat that's perfect for Halloween. -Dracula approved.
Cupcakes: ½ Cup Butter, Softened 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar 2 lg Eggs ¼ Cup Black Dutch Cocoa 1 tbsp Black Food Coloring 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 Cup Buttermilk 2 ⅓ Cups All-Purpose Flour ½ tsp Baking Powder ½ tsp Baking Soda 2 tbsp White Vinegar
Red Filling: 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened ½ tsp Vanilla Extract ¼ cup Butter, melted 1 lg Egg 1 cup Powdered Sugar 1-2 tsp Red Food Coloring
Black Buttercream: 1 cup Butter, softened 4 cups Powdered Sugar ¾ cup Black Dutch Cocoa 1-3 tbsp Milk 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Start by making the black buttercream
Cream together the butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.
Add in your cocoa powder and then mix again until smooth.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until thick and blended.
Add in your milk, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition until a good consistency. You may not need all of the milk.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the gooey red filling next
Blend together the cream cheese and melted butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Add in the vanilla and egg and mix again.
Add in one teaspoon of red food coloring. Mix again
Add in one cup of powdered sugar and mix again until combined.
If desired, add in a little more red food coloring.
Cover the bowl and set it aside until ready to use.
Make the cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, black food coloring, and vanilla until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time until smooth.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl until blended.
Add your vinegar to the buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup.
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add in ⅓ of the buttermilk and mix again.
Add in half of the remaining flour. Mix and then add in the last of the buttermilk and mix again.
Lastly, add in the remaining flour and mix again until no flour streaks remain.
Assembly
Spoon a tablespoon of black cupcake batter into the bottom of each muffin cup and spread it out to touch the sides and cover the bottom well.
Add one heaping teaspoon of red filling into the center of the batter.
Top with another large spoonful of black batter to cover the red and fill the muffins ⅔rds of the way full.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and it comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Top your cupcakes with black frosting and add themed sprinkles if desired.