Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes

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Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes from a box cake mix topped with fluffy green buttercream frosting then topped off with a chocolate peanut butter hair and chocolate chip “bolts”.

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.

You all know how much I love Halloween.  It is one of my favorite holidays and I love celebrating.  I know this year it’s going to be a little different but that doesn’t mean I can’t bake all the Halloween treats!

My son is also old enough now that he is super excited about Halloween so I want to do some fun activities with him and make some fun holiday crafts.   Since I don’t have a lot of time at home while J is awake I try to make every moment count.  That’s why I’ve been trying to make easier holiday recipes.

These Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes start with a boxed chocolate cake mix.  What?  I know I’ve said it before but you can doctor up a boxed cake mix and it tastes pretty darn good especially when you pair it with homemade frosting.  It makes all the difference in the world.

Ingredients:

• chocolate cake mix
• milk
• sour cream
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• butter
• Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
• vanilla
• food coloring
• candy eyes
• peanut butter cups
• chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place black cupcake liners in 2 muffin tins. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the chocolate cake mix, milk, sour cream, and oil.

3.  Add in the eggs and mix until combined.

4.  Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each one ¾ of the way full.

5.  Bake for 20-23 minutes then remove from oven and cool completely on a write rack.

6.  In a large bowl beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in a cup at a time until well combined.

7.  Add in the milk and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy.

8.  Remove ½ cup of frosting from the bowl. Dye the frosting remaining in the bowl green. Dye the ½ cup of frosting black.

9.  Put a mound of green frosting on top of each cupcake and using a butter knife square off the frosting.

10.  Place a peanut butter cup on top of the frosting.

11.  Place the black frosting in a piping bag with a thin tip. Pipe on a straight line for the mouth and two lines angling downward for the angry eyebrows. Place 2 eyes into the frosting under the eyebrows. Place a chocolate chip, pointed side down, into each side of the frosting for the “bolts”.

So I made a my chocolate cupcakes and while they were baking I made a batch of my buttercream frosting using salted butter and Dixie Crystals powdered sugar.  I really think that salted butter makes all the difference in this recipe.  Then I dyed it green and waited for the cupcakes to cool.

When I was at the store I actually found chocolate peanut butter cups that were green and brown to represent Frankenstein so I totally bought them..  You can definitely use regular peanut butter cups but these were too cute to pass up.

For the frosting I just piped some on and squared it off.   Then I put the peanut butter cup on top.  They looked awesome!  I got to work on the face by placing two candy google eyes on the cupcakes, a chocolate chip on either side on the head as the “bolts”, piped on angry eyebrows, and finished with a mouth.

These cupcakes were so fun to make and super easy!   Kids can totally help decorate one the frosting is piped on top.  The cupcakes would be a fun Halloween treat for anyone!

Pro Tips & Substitutions:

• While I truly think doctoring the boxed cake mix makes the cupcakes taste better they can be made with the directions on the box.
• Not a chocolate fan?   Use a pumpkin spice or yellow cake mix instead!
• If you don’t have piping tips put the frosting in a zip top baggie and cut off a big portion of the corner and just pipe the frosting in a large circle on top of the cupcakes to make molding it into a square head easier.

More Halloween Recipes:

• Halloween Party Mix
• Swirly Halloween Cookies
• Candy Corn Cupcakes
• Halloween Layer Cake
• Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits

If you’ve tried my Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 52 minutes

Chocolate cupcakes topped with fluffy green buttercream frosting then topped off with a chocolate peanut butter hair and chocolate chip "bolts".

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs

For the frosting:

• 3 sticks butter, softened
• 6 c. powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoon milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• green food coloring
• black food coloring

For decorating:

• 4 dozen candy eyes
• 2 dozen peanut butter cups
• 48 chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place black cupcake liners in 2 muffin tins. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the chocolate cake mix, milk, sour cream, and oil. Mix well.
3. Add in the eggs and mix until combined.
4. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each one 3/4 of the way full.
5. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and cool completely on a write rack.
7. In a large bowl beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.
8. Add the powdered sugar in a cup at a time until well combined.
9. Add in the milk and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy.
10. Remove 1/2 cup of frosting from the bowl. Dye the frosting remaining in the bowl green. Dye the 1/2 cup of frosting black.
11. To make the cupcake put a mound of frosting on top of each cupcake and using a butter knife square off the frosting.
12. Place a peanut butter cup on top of the frosting. I found special Frankenstein peanut butter cups that were brown and green but the all brown ones work fine.
13. Place the black frosting in a piping bag with a thin tip. Pipe on a straight line for the mouth and two lines angling downward for the angry eyebrows.
14. Place 2 eyes into the frosting under the eyebrows. Place a chocolate chip, pointed side down, into each side of the frosting for the "bolts".

Notes

Recipe adapted from Reese's