A few weeks ago, while browsing Pinterest (my favorite time sink), I found something that stopped me in my tracks. Like the skeleton ornaments I simply had to make, I immediately thought, “These must be turned into cupcakes!” They already were cupcakes, but I wanted edible versions that could be shared to delight and frighten friends. Living far from home, I enjoy little ways to surprise people, and thankfully the original designer, Lucy from smallandpissed, loved the idea.
Killer Cupcakes
Makes 8–9 cupcakes
What you’ll need:
12 cupcakes (choose a darker flavor if possible)
A batch of frosting
White fondant
Food gel coloring (for the eyes)
Clean, food-only paint brushes
A batch of royal icing
There are several ways to approach this project, but I recommend starting with the fondant eyeballs since they can be made ahead and will firm up as they dry. Roll small, similarly sized balls of white fondant. To create irises and pupils, use either the end of a round frosting tip as a stencil or paint freehand with a clean brush. Apply gel food coloring for the iris, add a touch of brown to outline and add depth, and finish with black for the pupil. Let the eyes dry completely before using them.
For the cupcakes, any flavor works, but a dark cake—like chocolate—looks best because it shows through the mouth area and creates a stronger contrast. I made a half batch of my favorite chocolate cake and baked 12 cupcakes at 350°F (175°C) for 16–18 minutes. After the cupcakes cool, build the open mouth shape by cutting a few cupcakes into wedges and stacking them to add height on one side. The cupcakes don’t need to be identical; slight differences give each character personality.
I used an ermine frosting for a slightly rougher texture, but use any frosting you prefer. With a large round tip, pipe frosting onto each cupcake, pulling it up over the wedge used to form the mouth. While the frosting is still fresh, create eye sockets: with a small offset spatula or butter knife, lift a second layer of frosting up from the bottom and press the bottom layer down to form a cavity. Gently press the dried fondant eyes into these cavities and smooth the surrounding frosting. The placement and shaping of the frosting will determine each cupcake’s expression.
Next, add the teeth using stiff-consistency royal icing. Pipe every other tooth first so each tooth retains definition instead of forming one continuous white line. After completing the initial row of teeth on all cupcakes, go back and fill in the gaps between teeth. Allow the royal icing to dry 4–5 hours, then refine the teeth by lightly shading with watered-down brown food coloring to add depth and realism.
These spooky cupcakes are a fun, hands-on project that make a memorable Halloween treat. They can be adjusted to be creepier or cuter depending on eye placement, mouth shape, and frosting texture. Which Halloween treat are you most excited to try this year? Share your ideas and variations when you make them.
Happy baking!