Best Halloween Cupcakes
Dangerously Delicious!
These spooky cupcakes make an frightening addition to any party. In fact, they are scary enough (and tasty enough) that you can incorporate them into many party different themes. So many Halloween movies involve scenes with broken, bloody glass that they can be put out on any buffet table and fit right in. They look creepy, are a great attention getter but still taste oh so yummy!
Oddly enough, they didn't remind me of any movie in particular but of a childhood game we played when I was about ten or eleven years old called "Bloody Mary." Have you heard of it? Have you even played it yourself? Quite a few versions exist and I'll go into them later but the basic version we learned is that a bunch of girls, or guys, go into a dark bathroom with the door closed and chant "Bloody Mary" three times while turning around with our eyes closed and when you opened your eyes you'd see the bloody ghost of Mary. If you saw her you'd die, of course. I don't know what we saw, but one day after gymnastics practice four or five of us did it and I was so frightened, I've never done it since. (Most likely I saw the face of one of my pals!)
All images used are © 2013 Ren During.
Legend of Bloody Mary
Mary in the Mirror
Bloody Mary Worth
The legend of Mary Worth (or Worthington somethings) is one of the most common "Mary" versions of Bloody Mary. Some say she was a witch, some say she found out her husband dabbled in the dark arts but to date no one seems to have found any actual records of a Mary Worth that fits the description or the tale. Others say she was the victim of a horrible car accident. It's likely we'll never know. Either way, if you see her in the mirror she's been rumored to wail at you, scratch you, gouge your eyes out, kill you, or worse, pull you through the mirror to join her on the other side.
How to Make Delicous
Bloody Glass Cupcakes
This is what you're aiming for!
You want to make the candy glass first because it takes a while to make and then to cool. You can also keep it in the refrigerator until you need it, so no worries! If you haven't done this before, make sure to watch the helpful video below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Mix ingredients in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan or skillet; start on low and then slowly bring to a boil (or your mixture will caramelize). Use a candy thermometer and boil sugar syrup until temperature reaches 290 - 300º F (hard crack stage), stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken as water evaporates. Once mixture reaches 300 degrees, pour quickly into a metal sheet pan coated lightly with oil. Tap pan to on flat surface to pop as many bubbles as possible and have an even sheet of "glass." Additional bubbles can be popped with a pin. Cool for one hour until completely hardened. Using a hot knife, loosen around the edge of the pan. Break into small "shards" using a meat mallet or end of something heavy. Be careful, the edges can be fairly sharp.
- Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Help to Make Candy Glass!
Red Velvet Cupcakes - (You can also do the shortcut and buy the box version.)
This recipe courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker and comes with a terrific history of the red velvet cake.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 15
Total Time: 35
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 red or decorative Halloween liners.
- 2. With mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl, until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Switch mixer to high speed and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until fully mixed.
- 3. In a separate small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add this to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. Make sure you get the batter from the bottom of the bowl so you have a consistent color.
- 4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk (1/4 of a cup). Add half of the flour (approximately 1/2 cup) and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until you have a smooth consistency.
- 5. With the mixer speed still on low, add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat until completely combined and smooth.
- 6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake approximately 20 minutes (will depend upon your oven), or until a thin knife, skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.
- 7. Cool for 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting - (Again, if you're short on time, ready-made is available.)
Frosting is also courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 10
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 4 ounces butter (at room temperature)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until it's all incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Frost your cupcakes with as much icing as you'd like then add some of the glass shards to each one.
Edible Blood - that won't turn you into a blood sucking vampire!
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water (or more if needed)
- 15 drops red food coloring (approximately)
- 3 cups blue food coloring (approximately)
Instructions
- Mix 1/2 cup corn syrup & cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly stir in the 1/4 cup water, adding more if needed, until the corn syrup mixture has thickened to the consistency of blood. Stir in the red and blue food coloring until desired color is reached.
- Using a spoon or dropper, drizzle blood onto the glass and the tops of the cupcakes!
Oh Oh Oh, look what I made!!! - And they ARE as yummy as they look!
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Legend of Bloody Mary
Other Possibilities
Queen Mary I
The legend of Queen Mary I of England, or Mary Tudor, seems a more plausible source for this twisted ritual, though not in its exact modern form. The Bloody Queen, as she was known, and one of the daughters of Henry VIII, had a penchant for killing Protestants as she tried to undo her father's philandering ways and reestablish the Catholic Church. She also desperately tried to leave an heir so that her half sister Elizabeth I wouldn't take the throne after her (she failed at both things).
Needless to say, in the Victorian age when young girls desired to know who they would wed, they were instructed to walk backwards with a mirror and candle, up a staircase and look into the mirror. They would see the face of the man or possibly a skull which meant they would die before being married. It's easy to see how this could evolve into the modern Bloody Mary game children play today.
Elizabeth Bathory
The legend of Elizabeth Bathory, the Hungarian countess whom some feel many of the Dracula details are based upon is another possibility. Yes, I realize her name isn't Mary, but throughout history she is confused with Mary Tudor and many of her bizarre customs (bathing in blood for instance) have been imposed on Queen Mary by mistake. It's quite possibly that the came should really be called Bloody Beth or Bloody Eliza instead of Bloody Mary. I don't think we'll ever know for certain. Any of these explanations seems plausible to me. I think I'll have a cupcake while I ponder them.
Have you ever played "Bloody Mary" in a dark bathroom (or other room with a mirror)?
Helpful Items
Bloody Glass Cupcakes
Or something less spooky?
