Halloween Cupcakes

I am not sure if you guys are like me, but if you are, you like things that are simple.  I don't have a lot of extra space in my head for complicated recipes.  That is why I have always made my cupcakes, cakes or brownies from a box.  But since I am now on a quest to become a better baker I need to start experimenting with recipes from scratch.  I have made things from scratch before like the Carrot Cake Cupcakes I made a few weeks ago or the Buche de Noel cake I made for Christmas last year (definately one for the blog if I make it again!)  I searched the web and found a recipe for Perfectly Chocolate Cupakes on the Glorious Treats blog and decided to go with them.

The real test with these cupcakes is whether or not I would be able to make them with two toddlers at my feet!  I preheated my oven to 350*F and got to work.  Everything went smoothly and was much easier than I thought.  I filled my muffin pans and popped them in the oven.  The recipe says to fill the liners 2/3 full with batter.  I was using a large measuring cup to pour the batter in and it flowed fast.  I think most of my cupcakes were a little more than 2/3 full.  That resulted in a larger cupcake top then I would have liked - see photos below.

Once they were cooled I frosted them with my favorite buttercream recipe, which I will post at some point (if you want it now leave a comment and I can email it to you.)  I wanted a white/orange striped look for the frosting so before I filled my piping bag I used a toothpick to line each seam of the bag with orange gel food coloring.  Then carefully filled the bag with frosting and was on my way.  Another great tip from Glorious Treats!! 

I have to say this experience of baking from scratch was great.  It was a lot easier than I thought and I know I will be doing a lot more of it in the future!!