Description

These Vampire Cupcakes are a spooky and delicious treat perfect for Halloween or any gothic-themed party. Moist chocolate cupcakes are baked with classic ingredients, then decorated with a creamy white chocolate frosting tinted with black and red food coloring to create eerie vampire faces. The combination of rich cocoa, smooth buttermilk, and a surprise swirl of red makes these cupcakes both visually striking and irresistibly tasty.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
Black food coloring

Frosting

6 ounces Baker’s white chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Red food coloring
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (slightly melted)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Black, light brown, and red food coloring

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Instructions

Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure even distribution and to remove lumps.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until fully combined and smooth. Add a few drops of black food coloring to the wet ingredients to achieve a deep dark hue for the cupcake batter.
Mix Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain cupcake tenderness.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill each about three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Make White Chocolate Ganache: Chop the white chocolate finely and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let sit for one minute, then stir gently until smooth. Add red food coloring as desired to create a blood-red effect for a surprise inside or decoration.
Prepare Buttercream Frosting: In a mixer bowl, cream the slightly melted unsalted butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until smooth and spreadable. Mix in vanilla extract and divide the frosting into separate bowls. Tint portions with black, light brown, and red food coloring to create variety for vampire face decorations.
Decorate Cupcakes: Using the colored frostings, craft vampire face features on the cooled cupcakes. Use the red-tinted ganache or frosting to make blood effects or small drips, completing the spooky look.

Notes

These cupcakes combine spooky visual appeal with moist, rich chocolate flavor that’s sure to impress guests.
Room temperature eggs and buttermilk help achieve a smooth, tender batter.
Be sure not to overmix the batter to keep cupcakes light and fluffy.
Use gel-based food colorings for more vibrant and intense colors in your frosting and batter.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
The white chocolate ganache can be tinted with red food coloring to add a surprise ‘bloody’ effect inside or on top of the cupcakes.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 320
Sugar: 30g
Sodium: 180mg
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 42g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 50mg