Halloween Lobotomy Cupcakes

Serves 12

***You will need 2 x 6 hole half sphere (70mm) silicon moulds for this recipe. This recipe will need to be started the day before***

INGREDIENTS

185g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder

165g caster sugar

120g brown sugar

125g butter, softened

2 eggs

160ml milk

2 tsp Dollar Sweets Vanilla Extract

Dollar Sweets Large Striped Patty Pans

BUTTERCREAM

500g butter, softened

750g icing sugar, sifted

4 tsp Dollar Sweets Vanilla Extract

Dollar Sweets Food Colour (red)

EDIBLE BLOOD

80ml cranberry juice

2 tbsp cornflour

250g glucose syrup

Dollar Sweets Food Colour (red and purple)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 160ºC. Line a standard 12 hole muffin tin with the red Dollar Sweets Large Striped Patty Pans.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 6 mins until smooth.

Divide batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 mins until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed. Allow to cool completely.

To make the buttercream, clean mixer bowl and beat butter until smooth, add icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat until very smooth and fluffy. Add red Dollar Sweets Food Colour to obtain a pale-medium pink colour and beat until the colour is even. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round open nozzle.

Place the silicon moulds on a large tray (this will need to fit into your freezer so check before starting). Pipe a line down the centre of each mould. Pipe squiggles onto each side of the line, up the sides of the mould, then pipe buttercream on top to fill. Don’t smooth the tops.

Press a cooled cupcake upside down on top of each mould and transfer to the freezer overnight.

To make the blood, combine cranberry juice and cornflour in a small saucepan, whisking until the cornflour is dissolved and not lumpy. Stir in the glucose syrup and place over a low heat, stirring constantly until the glucose syrup melts and incorporates (about 5 mins). Remove from the heat, add red food colour until a desired colour is achieved then add a single drop of purple food colour to get the blood to be a deep and rich red colour. Allow to cool completely.

Remove cupcakes from freezer and carefully press the moulds to remove the cupcakes. Stand at room temperature for 30 mins before spooning over the cooled blood just before serving.