Wicked Cupcakes

If you want to make something adorably spooky, then these little wicked cupcakes are the thing for you. Prep times are about 45 minutes, inactive prep time is about an hour and cook time is about 25 minutes. The level of difficulty of this recipe is intermediate. The servings of this recipe will make 12 cupcakes and 2 cups of frosting. You can adjust measurements depending on how many cupcakes you want to make.

What you need

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cups prune juice
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• 4-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 drop food coloring (green), optional
• Chocolate wafer cookies
• Licorice strips
• Toasted coconut
• Small candies
• Special stuff: 12 muffin cups with paper liners

Directions

Cupcakes:

Position the rack in the center of your oven

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Set the liners in the muffin cups.

Put the chocolate and prune juice into a microwavable bowl and then heat it in the microwave on a low power setting while stirring on occasion, until the chocolate is completely melted.

You want to mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, you need to beat the eggs and the yolk with an electric hand mixer if you have one at a high speed until it is slightly thick and its lemon colored. It shouldn't take more than about 3 minutes.

Next, you need to add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs very slowly while beating it until it's thoroughly combined.

Then add the flour mixture and beat it until it's completely mixed together.

Next, split up the batter you just made among muffin tins only filling them up about half way.

Then, Bake the cupcakes until you can insert a toothpick in the middle of your cupcakes and it comes out clean and the tops bounce back when you press the top gently, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.

Frosting
Mix the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese in a big bowl with an electric mixer if you have one until its fluffy and light. Then you need to add sugar and milk while stirring these things until the frosting you made is completely mixed and smooth.

Then you can add food coloring if you want too.

Refrigerate the frosting until firm.

To decorate the cakes: For the witch's hat, score a circle in the middle of a cupcake. Cut a deep cone-like shape with a knife held at an angle.

Spin the cupcakes in a complete the circle and then remove the center of it. You want to do this with all of the cupcakes. Use a healthy scoop of frosting in the middle of every cupcake to fill the hole and to come over the cake to make a face. Top with a chocolate wafer cookie. Put a dot of frosting in the middle of the wafer cookie and invert the cone shaped piece of cake on top to make a witches hat. You can use licorice, coconut or cereal for the hair and candy for the eyes and nose. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.