¼teaspoonalmond extractoptional--the added flavor is really good
8-cupssifted confectioner’spowdered sugar
½cupmilk
For Decor
violetgreen and any other color you'd like of paste food color, or liquid gel color
thin red licorice
assorted colored Air Heads
candy eyes
Instructions
For Chocolate Cupcakes/Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cocoa with boiling water in medium bowl, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely.
Sift flour with baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside.
Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl.With electric mixer at high speed, mix until light (about 5 minutes). At low speed, beat in small amounts of flour, alternating with cocoa mixture. Don’t over beat.
Insert paper liners in 24 muffin cups. Fill each cup ½ full of cake batter. Bake 17 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
For Buttercream Frosting
In a large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla & almond.
Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry
Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
To Create Monsters:
Choose some wild shades for your monsters, then color buttercream frosting with paste or gel food color.
For the google eyed monsters, we simply used the Wilton coupler base inserted in a pastry bag to give us a medium sized round opening. We piped the frosting in puffs, then added toothpicks adorned with mini marshmallows, a dab of frosting and candy eyes.
For the additional monsters, we used a Wilton #18 open star tip. You could actually use any size star tip to decorate.
Simply drop the star tip into your pastry bag, then fill the pastry bag with your desired frosting (see our buttercream recipe below) and roll down the top of your pastry bag. Hold the rolled down portion of your bag in one hand while exerting light pressure, and use your other, dominant hand, as a guide. Squirt the frosting out of the bag into a star, then stop pushing and quickly pull up to give a little peak. Pipe stars over the cupcake surface until it's covered.
Creating monster faces
Let your imagination run wild as you think of the faces to give your monster gang! It's so easy to use Airheads to mold all types of features.
Stretch the candy so it's thinner to cut out circles for eyes. Roll thin ropes for mouths, scars, eyebrows ... you get the idea!
•We used airhead circles topped with candy eyes; it's almost like working with fondant. You get great colors and an economical medium.
Notes
NOTE 1: If you'd like a vanilla cupcake recipe, check out our vanilla cupcake recipe on our Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes post.NOTE 2: Sometimes we use cakes mixes. We actually like cake mixes. Our favorite chocolate cake mix is Better Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge. We just make a couple of simple changes. We add the recommended amount(s) of oil and eggs. Then fill a liquid measuring cup to the half cup line with sour cream. Add water on top of the sour cream until it reaches the amount of water called for. Mix as directed.