Easy Chocolate Monster Cupcakes Recipes

SUPER MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners - this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until combined. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then half of the buttermilk. Gently whisk for a few seconds. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir until *just* combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
• Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only halfway (this is imperative! only halfway!) to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking.
• Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. I usually let them cool in the pan.
• Frost cooled cupcakes however you'd like. I used chocolate buttercream and Wilton 1M piping tip for these pictured cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

BEST EASY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Put oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
• Sift Dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk briefly.
• Place butter and chocolate in a separate, large heatproof bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, mix, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Mix until chocolate is melted and smooth (keep microwaving in 20 sec bursts if chocolate not melted).
• Add cocoa powder and mix.
• Add milk and oil, then eggs, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
• Add flour mixture and whisk until lump free.
• Divide mixture between cupcake liners. I use a ice cream scoop for this. They should be just over 3/4 full.
• Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the cupcake in the middle of the tray comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and immediately transfer to cooling rack (spoon or knife helps).
• Once cool, spread with frosting and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Alternatively, use Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!

EASY MONSTER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line cupcake pan with liners.
• Make cupcakes per directions on box.
• Cool cupcakes completely.
• Stir frosting as per instructions on box.
• Put frosting on top of cupcake roughly in the shape of a skull (see photo) leaving part of the cupcake exposed.
• Decorate with candies. (see photos).
• Melt chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl for about 20 seconds. This depends on your microwave.
• Don't over melt. Just do it until the chips are soft with some solid left in the center of the chip. Stir and the rest will melt. Add more time if needed, but do it slowly, about 10 seconds at a time.
• Dip a tooth pick into the chocolate chip and dot the Skittles (or whatever candy you use for the eyes). The chocolate serves as the pupil of your monters' eyes. Please make sure the "s" stamped on the Skittles is facing down and the blank side is facing up.

CHOCOLATE EASTER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the brown sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, oil and milk in a jug. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until smooth. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Divide the mixture between them, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool in the tin.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Whisk in some of the milk to loosen to a pipeable consistency, if needed.
• For the chick decoration, colour a small piece of fondant orange using a drop of food colouring gel and another small piece black. Colour a few tablespoons of the icing yellow and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe a yellow blob in the centre of the cupcake and a smaller one on top. Roll the black fondant into two small balls and place them as eyes. Roll a little cone of orange fondant for the beak. For each foot, roll three small, longer pieces and pinch them together at one end. Push the feet in beneath the body, hiding the pinch.
• For the bunny, beat the cocoa and 1 tbsp milk into a few tablespoons of the icing. Spread over the cupcake. Spoon a few tablespoons of the plain icing into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and pipe a small blob on top. Stick a mini marshmallow on top of that for a tail. For the feet, shape two small pieces of white fondant into ovals and press down to flatten. Colour a small piece of fondant pink and form two balls and six smaller ones. Press the balls into the flattened ovals in a paw pattern. Place the feet on either side of the rabbit's bottom.
• To make the sheep, colour a piece of fondant black and shape a small piece into an oval. Use a skewer to press nostrils into the bottom end. Pinch two smaller pieces into ears and stick these on using a little water. Roll two small balls of white fondant and two smaller black balls to make eyes. Cover the cake with a layer of plain icing and fix the face in the middle. Surround with mini marshmallows for the woolly coat.