Description
Make my Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes with a Gory Surprise! Easy recipe for moist chocolate treats, creamy frosting & a bloody berry filling. Spooky fun!
Ingredients
Scale
- Cupcake Base:
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Bloody Berry Filling:
- 1 cup (125g) fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- Vampire Frosting:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2–3 drops red gel food coloring
- Gory Garnish:
- 24 mini chocolate chips
- Red gel food coloring (for optional drips)
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients:: First things first, grab a big bowl and whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. I always do this thoroughly because there’s nothing worse than finding a pocket of unmixed baking soda in a finished cupcake, honestly! It smells so good, even just the dry cocoa powder, promising all that chocolatey goodness to come. Make sure everything is lump-free; a good whisking here sets the stage for perfectly even Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:: In another bowl, crack those eggs, pour in the whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Give it a good whisk until everything is smoothly combined and looks light and airy. I used to just dump it all in, but taking a moment to properly mix the wet ingredients ensures a more uniform batter. You’ll start to smell the vanilla, which always makes my kitchen feel like a cozy bakery, even when I’m aiming for spooky.
- Mix Batter & Bake Cupcakes:: Now, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed with a stand mixer or by hand until just combined. Don’t overmix, that’s my biggest tip! Overmixing leads to tough cupcakes, and we want these Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes to be super moist. Fill your lined muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The smell as they bake? Pure heaven, even for a vampire!
- Prepare the Bloody Berry Filling:: While the cupcakes cool, let’s make our gory surprise! In a small saucepan, combine the fresh raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries gently, for about 5-7 minutes. In a separate tiny bowl, whisk the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Pour it into the simmering berries and cook for another minute or two until it thickens. It should look like thick, vibrant blood – so fun! Let it cool completely. This filling is what makes these Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes so special.
- Make the Vampire Frosting:: In your stand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter until it’s light and fluffy, maybe 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until fully incorporated. Then, beat in the vanilla extract and heavy cream until you have a smooth, creamy frosting. Now for the fun part: add a few drops of red food coloring until it’s a subtle, pale pink. We want it to look like a healthy, slightly flushed complexion before the bite, you know? This frosting is going to make our Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes irresistible.
- Assemble Your Gory Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes:: Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small spoon or a cupcake corer to scoop out a little bit from the center of each. Fill that cavity with your cooled berry “blood.” Frost the cupcakes with your pale pink frosting, swirling it high. Now, here’s the gory surprise: use two mini chocolate chips to create tiny “bite marks” on the side of the frosting. For an extra touch, I sometimes use a tiny paintbrush and a drop of red gel food coloring to make a little “blood drip” from the bite marks. These Halloween Vampire Bite Cupcakes are ready to scare and delight!