Monster Cupcakes

This is a terrific recipe to make and eat! It only takes 15 minutes to make and about 15 minutes to bake! It is very easy to make (even I made it!).

You will need: 

1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)

1/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder (optional)

2 eggs

100g of sifted self-raising flour

100g of caster sugar

100g of butter or margarine

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C /Gas Mark 4 and place 12 paper cases into a muffin tin.Using an electric whisk, food processor or wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before adding the next. Add the vanilla essence if using.Carefully fold in the flour (and baking powder if using).Bake in the oven for 10 - 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, check to see if the cupcakes are ready by inserting a cocktail stick into one of the cupcakes. If it comes out dry then the cupcakes are done. If not, then back in the oven for a few minutes more. Don't overcook the cupcakes otherwise they will dry out. Lift the cupcakes out of the muffin tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. For a simple icing topping, add a little water to some icing sugar until you have a smooth paste. When the cakes are cool, drizzle some icing mixture over the top. These cupcakes are best eaten on the day they are made

If you want to decorate your cupcake here are some great designs to make:

SPIDER WEB CUPCAKES: On a white-frosted cupcake, draw a spooky spider web to terrify the neighbours! To draw the spider web use black icing or black decorating gel. You can even add a plastic spider to really shock your trick or treaters!

GHOSTLY HORROR!: Stick a yummy marshmallow onto your lovely cupcake. Then pour melted white frosting/ icing on to the marshmallow so it drips on the side! After it has hardened, use black icing/decorating gel to draw a fearful face on the marshmallow!

FRIGHTENING FRANKENSTEIN: Cover your cupcakes in green icing (put green food colouring into the icing). Then get mini M&M's and stick them as eyes! Or you can use the black icing/decorating gel to draw eyes. Then use it to draw a nose and a mouth. Add some melted chocolate for hair, and stick M&M's (whatever size!) onto the cupcake case to look like bolts.

VAMPIRE CUPCAKES: On a white-frosted cupcake, draw a terribly terrifying vampire! You can use red icing as blood, and add gumdrops for weird and wonderful eyes!

BLACK BAT BADNESS: Get your white-frosted cupcake and cut a chocolate wafer into half for ears. Stick it into the cupcake, and add gumdrops and jelly beans for the eyes and nose. You can use liquorice pieces for bat whiskers. After everything is on the cupcake draw a bat face to connect it all up!

I hope you enjoy these Halloween treats (or is it a trick?)!