Biscuiteers Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

With Halloween approaching, tempt everyone with these festive pumpkin spice cupcakes.  They are undoubtedly a crowd pleaser with their fun designs.  They not only look good though they taste delicious, full of spice and warmth.

My exciting news of the week was Biscuiteers  loved my blog so much they provided me with the recipe.  I tested immediately as I wanted to share it with you all.  If my family are anything to go by, these cupcakes are a winner, they disappeared overnight.  Why not try them now to share at your Halloween party?

If you’re too busy to make your own, get Biscuiteers Halloween Cupcakes delivered to your door, ahead of the big day! http://www.biscuiteers.com/shop/find-the-perfect-pressie/halloween/halloween-cupcakes

Ingredients:

175g light muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

175ml sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g sultanas

200g coarse grated pumpkin flesh

2 tsp ground cinnamon

200g self-raising flour

zest of 1 orange, grated

50g jelly snakes (optional)

1 tsp baking soda

Heat your oven to 180C/160C(fan)/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Pour into a large boil the oil along with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Beat this mixture together and then add the grated pumpkin, sultanas and orange zest.

Add in the cinnamon, flour and baking soda and stir.

Spoon half of your mixture into 6 of the cases and then add the jelly worms into the remaining cases with the rest of the mixture (these will be the “tricks”, to go with the “treats”!)

Put the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the cupcakes are springy to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing:

250g icing sugar

125g butter

1kg white regal ice fondant

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Paste colours: Red, Green, Black, Orange and Purple.

Mix the butter and the icing sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy then add in the vanilla bean paste and mix until the beans are evenly distributed.

Mix up some line icing (see here for help with this: http://www.biscuiteers.com/blog/blog/recipes/royal-icing-recipe-flood-and-line-techniques) and colour with black, white and red.

Use the colour paste to colour fist sized balls of the regal ice fondant, making sure there is no marbling once the fondant is rolled out.

Spoon your vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcakes and then cover with the different colours of ice fondant.

To decorate the eye ball cupcakes:

Roll the white fondant out to a thickness of 5mm (you can use cornflour on your work top to prevent the fondant sticking). Cut out circles that measure 7cm in diameter.

Roll out the lime green fondant to a thickness of 5mm, then cut out circles that measure 3cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Add the lime green disk in the middle of the cupcake, then either using black line icing or black fondant, add a black pupil.

Using the red line icing, pipe thin veins coming from the central circle, to  create the bloodshot eyeball effect.

To decorate the spiderweb cupcakes:

Roll the orange fondant to a thickness of 5mm and cut out circles that measure 7cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Using the black line icing within an piping bag, pipe the black icing onto the orange fondant into a spider’s web design.

To decorate the purple BOO! cupcakes:

Roll out the purple fondant to a thickness of 5mm, then cut out circles that measure 3cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Using white line icing pipe the words ‘BOO!’ or ‘Happy Halloween’. Allow to dry.

You can get really creative with eyeballs, spider webs, witches, ghosts, black cats and much more besides. For some inspiration take a look at our designs below. Or if you’ve not got the time to get baking yourself, why not get a delivery of Halloween Cupcakes from the Biscuiteers!