My family will be decorating for Halloween tomorrow. Usually we are decorated by now but we’ve been so busy the past couple of weeks that we haven’t had a chance to decorate yet.
I am already in the Halloween spirit. We were just watching scary Halloween movies this evening (FYI… the movie Trick or Treat is stupid, gross and far from scary).
I find it hard to go into the stores now without being tempted to purchase bags of yummy candy.
This time of year many people are invited to Halloween parties or host parties themselves. Elementary school classrooms often have Halloween parties too.
Here is a delightful recipe for Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Orange Butter Cream frosting and cool spider web decorations on top. These would be perfect for your Halloween get together, or just a special treat for your family.
This recipe comes courtesy of Michael Krondl. He recently published a book called Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert. I’m currently reading the book and will have a review posted for it in the next couple of weeks. The book will be available in October. There is a website set up for this book. I’ll have to get back to you with the URL (I can’t seem to find where I put it).
Without further adieu, here is Michael’s recipes.
Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Orange Butter Cream and Chocolate Cobwebs
Makes 18
Cupcakes:
7 ounces (2 cups sifted) cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ounce (1/2 cup) Dutch process cocoa
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
7 ½ ounces (1 cup) granulated sugar
7 ½ ounces (1 cup, packed) light brown sugar
Chocolate Cobwebs:
about 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Orange Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened slightly
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
½ teaspoon pure orange extract
orange food coloring, preferably paste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa with ½ cup lukewarm water. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy then beat in both sugars and beat until well incorporated. Beat in the eggs, one by one, scraping the bowl periodically, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until combined (it may look curdled at this point) then add about a third of the flour mixture, half the buttermilk, a third of the flour, the remaining half of the butter milk and then the rest of the flour, making sure to beat well after each addition. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake liner. Set in the oven and bake until a tester inserted into a cupcake in the middle of the pan comes out clean, 20 – 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.
5. Make cobwebs: Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave. Fill a small ziplock bag with the chocolate then, using scissors, snip off a corner of the bag. Make sure the hole is very small. On a piece of wax paper or parchment pipe the cobwebs. See photo. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
6. Make the buttercream: Heat the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and a thermometer registers 160°F. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the mixture in a standing electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick, glossy peaks form. Continue beating until cool.
7. With the mixer running, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Very gradually beat in the orange juice concentrate, extract and enough orange food coloring to make you think of Halloween. Continue beating on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 10 minutes. If the butter cream begins to separate, beat on high speed until smooth.
8. Spread or pipe the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with cobwebs.
If you happen to make these cupcakes I would love to hear about it. Please tell me how they turned out. Better yet please send me a photo. I would love to see them.
The cobwebs are so easy to make. I’m sure you could use them to decorate a cake too.
Enjoy!
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this recipe with permission for the benefit and enjoyment of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.
Ann B. says
Those cobwebs are really cute!