Owl And Spider Cupcakes Recipes

OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
• Combine 2 cups sugar, flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
• Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add flour mixture; mix until well-combined. Pour in hot water; stir until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Whip 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, 7 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup sugar gently to make frosting.
• Spread 1 tablespoon frosting over each cooled cupcake.
• Twist chocolate sandwich cookies open, leaving all cream filling on 1 side. Place 2 cookies, cream filling-side up, on each cupcake to make owl eyes. Place a brown milk chocolate piece on each cookie to create pupils. Insert an orange or yellow milk chocolate piece in the center to make a beak.

OWL AND SPIDER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Mix and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• To make spiders, press 4 licorice pieces into each side of 12 of the cupcakes, letting about 1 1/2 inches hang over side of cupcake. Spread tops of cupcakes with chocolate frosting; sprinkle with black decorator sugar crystals. Slice black gumdrops in half for faces. Press red cinnamon candies in center for eyes.
• To make owls, spread chocolate frosting on remaining 12 cupcakes. Use candies to form eyes, beaks and feet on each cupcake. Cut chocolate wafer cookies into quarters; place wafer pieces, triangle points up, behind eyes for ears. Cut wafer cookies into thirds for wings; place on cupcakes. Store loosely covered.

WIDE-EYED OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely. Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. , On each cookie, attach Froot Loops with chocolate frosting for eyes. Cut off yellow end from candy corn. With chocolate frosting, attach candy corn for beaks and butterscotch chips for ears. , Cut a slit in each cupcake and carefully insert cookie owls. For wings, press rye chips into white frosting.

SPICED SPIDER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
• Combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in bowl; whisk to mix. In separate bowl, mix water, canola oil, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Pour liquids into dry mixture and stir until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
• Transfer batter into a measuring cup or pitcher; pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when gently pressed with a fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar until frosting is creamy and spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes.
• To decorate cupcakes, use black decorating gel to draw a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Draw a larger circle around the first, and continue making larger circles until the last circle is about 1/4 inch from the edge. There should be about 5 rings on each cupcake. Use a toothpick to draw about 8 lines radiating from the center of the cupcake to the edge, like spokes on a wheel, to make webs.
• Cut the licorice strings into pieces about 1 1/4 inch long for legs. Poke four licorice legs into both sides of each gumdrop. Use decorating gel to make eyes and a smiley mouth on each gumdrop. Place a gumdrop spider onto each cupcake in the center of the webs.

OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the eyes: Place the malt balls cut side up on the work surface. Attach a white sprinkle to each ball using a skewer dipped in the buttercream to adhere. Add a mini chocolate chip as a pupil to each white sprinkle using more buttercream. Set aside.
• For the ears: Unwrap the caramels and press with fingers to flatten. Warm the candies in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds if they are too hard to flatten at room temperature. Cut each caramel into 2 little triangles with scissors. Coat each triangle with frosting on one side and cover with chocolate sprinkles. Set aside.
• For the beaks: Place the small yellow gumdrops on the work surface standing upright. Snip each gumdrop with scissors straight down three-quarters of the way through the candy to make the open mouth. Snip to narrow the overall size and shape into a tapered beak.
• To assemble: Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons buttercream. Place the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. Invert each cupcake into the sprinkles and press gently to adhere. Attach the eyes and beak by applying small dollops of additional frosting and pressing gently. Push the ears into the edges of the cupcake. Repeat steps for all cupcakes.

GHOST AND SPIDER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Coat each cupcake with chocolate frosting and partially insert a peanut butter filled cookie into the top. Frost the remaining cookie with vanilla frosting. Draw a scary expression on each ghost with the decorator's icing.
• First, make the spiders by combining the chocolate chips and milk in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth. Stir in the nuts and chow mien noodles. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Stick on extra noodles for spider legs and chill. Frost the cupcakes white, then top each with a spider.
• Yield: 24 cupcakes

SPOOKY SPIDER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in the applesauce, vanilla and orange zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in pecans., Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, food coloring and enough orange juice to achieve spreading consistency. Set aside 1/4 cup orange frosting. Frost cupcakes., Transfer chocolate frosting to a heavy-duty resealable bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe a circle of chocolate in center of each cupcake. Pipe evenly spaced thin concentric circles about 1/4 in. apart. Beginning with the center circle, gently pull a toothpick through circles toward outer edge. Wipe toothpick clean. Repeat to complete web pattern., Cut licorice into 2-in. pieces; press eight pieces into each gumdrop for legs. Place reserved orange frosting in a heavy-duty resealable bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. Pipe eyes on each spider gumdrop. Position on cupcakes.

HALLOWEEN OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Spoon white frosting into decorating bag fitted with round plain tip #804 or #4T (with 3/8-inch opening). Squeeze bag to pipe 2 large rounds, sides touching, on each cupcake to look like owl face. Pipe yellow decorating icing in center of rounds for eyes. Top with chocolate chips for pupils. Press candy corn between eyes for beak.

OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Divide half of batter evenly among lined muffin tin cups (about a heaping tablespoon per cup). Press 2 cookie halves without frosting into each cup, then divide remaining batter evenly atop cookies. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Divide frosting evenly among cupcakes. Place 2 cookie halves with filling side-by-side in center of cupcakes, pressing to adhere to frosting. Press 1 button-shaped chocolate into center of each frosted cookie to mimic pupils. Press another chocolate into frosting perpendicular to the other candies and centered, just below cookies to mimic a beak. Press almonds, if using, into frosting above cookie-eyes in rows to mimic feathers, or scrape frosting with the tip of a paring knife in short, upward strokes to create a feathery look.