Zombie Cupcakes

Ingredients

To make chocolate zombie cupcakes you need a box of chocolate cake mix, plus eggs and oil as indicated on the package. The homemade chocolate frosting is made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa powder.

And to decorate the cupcakes with a zombie graveyard you need:

• Chocolate jimmies
• Candy bones
• Bloody candy eyes
• Halloween gummy brains

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the box of cupcake mix (usually 350° Fahrenheit). Line the muffin tin with the liners. Make the cupcake batter as indicated on the package and fill each liner ⅔ full. Bake for the time indicated on the box, usually 18-20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven when done and place on your decorating workspace. Let the cupcakes cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.
2. When the cupcakes have cooled make the chocolate frosting. Combine the softened butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using the electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add unsweetened cocoa powder and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and continue to beat on low speed until smooth.
3. Choose your piping tip and secure it to the piping bag. Fill the piping bag with frosting. Twist the top where the frosting ends and hold securely while squeezing the frosting in a circular fashion onto each cupcake.
4. Sprinkle each frosted cupcakes with chocolate jimmies and stick a tombstone cupcake topper into the cupcake. Arrange the zombie brain, candy eyes and bones to create a graveyard.
5. Transfer the decorated cupcakes to the fridge to chill and set the frosting. Serve within a few hours or within 2 days for the best results.

Substitutions

There are so many possibilities in making zombie cupcakes so get creative and use the candy and decorations you have on hand or that are available to you. Here are some suggestions for ingredient substitutions:

• Use crushed Oreos instead of chocolate sprinkles to make the graveyard dirt.
• Make the tombstones edible by using a silicone mold and candy melts. This will take a little more time, as you need to wait for the candy melts to harden in the molds for a little bit. You can also use a Milano cookie and use red gel coloring or black writing icing to write RIP on the cookie and turn it into a gravestone.
• Add big candy eyeballs rather than gummy brains and small candy eyes.
• Add gummy hands or spiders.

Variations

• Gluten-free: easily make it gluten free by using a gluten-free cupcake mix
• Vanilla version: although they won't look as dark and spooky, choose a vanilla cupcake mix and icing, then decorate them with chocolate sprinkles to make dirt.

How To Store Cupcakes

Zombie cupcakes are best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days for optimal quality.