Feel like playing trick or treat with your friends?! These delicious mint chocolate cupcakes may catch you out - will you get white chocolate ganache or mayonnaise..?!
These spooky Frankenstein cupcakes are my cupcake version of trick or treat. They have a delicious white chocolate ganache filling which I dye a lime green to mimic Frankenstein slime. You'll thank yourself lucky if you have one of these, because the 'trick' cupcakes are filled with mayonnaise which I dye green, so you really can't tell the difference until you take a bite into one!
Now, you are under no obligation to fill these with mayonnaise, but if you do really want to get into the Halloween spirit then I would strongly recommend you do. Just be careful of the potential reaction you may get!
The other spooky aspect of these chocolate cupcakes are the mint aero chocolate chips. I chopped mint aero into chunks and when they bake you'll see the tops of the aero spill out over the side like Frankenstein blood!
A big difference between these cupcakes and most of the other Caking It ones is that instead of buttercream or frosting these have a large white marshmallow. When you place it on your cupcake, coat it with green glace icing, and top it with dark chocolate sprinkles, it looks splittingly like Frankenstein.
I'd recommend searching for large marshmallows (look in the American isle) because they are much more effective than small marshmallows.
So, are you up for pranking your friends this Halloween?!
Happy Halloween; let's get Caking It!
Recipe
180C (170C fan)
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 20 mins
Assemble: 5 mins
Ingredients
Sponge
150g gluten free self-raising flour
60g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
100g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
100ml vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp mint extract
50 ml boiling water with 2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp sour cream
50g mint chocolate aero bubbles, chopped
Filling
80ml double cream
100g white chocolate
Green food gel colouring
Mayonnaise (if you are doing a trick!)
Frosting
100g icing sugar, sifted
Cold water
Green gel food colouring
x12 large white marshmallows
Dark chocolate sprinkles
Edible eyes
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Method: Sponge
As usual, don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.
Start with the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum to a bowl and whisk to fully incorporate.
In a separate bowl, mix the oil, sugars, and mint extract. Then, add the eggs one at a time, whisking with an electric whisk between each addition until slightly frothy.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a fork to incorporate. Don’t overmix but ensure that all the ingredients are fully mixed, and the batter is smooth. At this point the batter should be thick.
Boil the water and add the instant coffee to it. Slowly pour it into the batter while mixing until it is glossy. This will take some welly but keep persevering because the batter will become smooth, glossy and a delicious brown shiny colour.
Add the sour cream and aero chunks to the cake batter and give it a final quick mix to incorporate.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, adding 1 and 1/2 tbsp to each case and let sit for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes. A skewer inserted into the sponge will come out clean.
Method: Ganache
This ganache adds an extra layer of pure indulgence to these cupcakes. Making ganache is an easy process if you get your ratios right so don't be afraid of having a go!
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the white chocolate ganache.
Chop the white chocolate into chunks and place in a glass bowl.
Heat the cream in 30 second bursts in the microwave until it is lightly steaming. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes before stirring.
Stir the white chocolate and cream together until its silky smooth and completely combined. Let it cool, stirring every few minutes as it thickens, and when it is a dropping consistency then you can move on to assembling your cakes.
Assembly
Making sure the sponges are completely cool, scoop out the middle of the cupcake with an apple corer, taking care not to go right down to the bottom.
Fill the Frankenstein brains with green gunge - aka spoon a little chocolate ganache into each cupcake hole. If you are making your cupcakes trick or treat, then mix some green food dye into mayonnaise and fill half of the cupcakes with it for an unpleasant surprise!
Place a large marshmallow on each cupcake.
Make the glace icing by slowly adding teaspoons of water until it becomes spreadable. Add green food colouring unil you get the desired colour. Now coat the marshmallows.
Sprinkle dark chocolate on top and place googly eyes on the front to complete your spooky Frankenstein!
Happy Halloween and enjoy!
