Best Midnight Madness Cupcakes Recipes

NANNY'S BLACK MIDNIGHT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and cayenne with hot brewed coffee and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream oil and sugar until well combined.
• Add eggs and beat until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. This process beats air into the mixture. Scrape paddle and bowl and beat once.
• Slowly add in coffee/cocoa mixture, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until batter is smooth. Scrape paddle and bowl and beat once.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet and beat on low speed to incorporate. Scrape down bowl and mix just until all ingredients are combined, do not over mix once flour is in.
• Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch cake pans and place a round parchment circle in each. Butter the top of the parchment then sprinkle the whole inside of the parchment and pan with cocoa powder, shaking out excess. Pour batter evenly between two pans and place in center of oven. (note, aluminum baking pans are by far, the best for baking cakes. Non-stick and dark colored pans can change the cake by browning it more than it needs to)
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate cake pans half way through. During our baking, one cake was done in 30 minutes and the second in 32 minutes. Do not over bake.
• Cool pans on wire racks for ten minutes then carefully invert out of pan onto rack to cool further.
• Sift cocoa powder with confectioner's sugar in a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and cocoa powder mixture along with buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Add additional buttermilk or whole milk if frosting is too thick.
• Place a small dollop of frosting on a cake dish to hold the cake from sliding and place one cake on the frosting. Frost the top of that layer. Place the second cake on the first and frost the entire cake, top and sides.

HALLOWEEN OWL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Spoon white frosting into decorating bag fitted with round plain tip #804 or #4T (with 3/8-inch opening). Squeeze bag to pipe 2 large rounds, sides touching, on each cupcake to look like owl face. Pipe yellow decorating icing in center of rounds for eyes. Top with chocolate chips for pupils. Press candy corn between eyes for beak.

CHOCOLATE MIDNIGHT MADNESS

Steps:

• In a large bowl with the mixer at moderate speed, beat cream cheese and the all-purpose cream until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
• Pour into the pie crust; place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300° C in an oven 30 to 35 minutes or until set.
• Chill 4 hours. Serve cold. Drizzle with the peppermint syrup, if desired.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW MADNESS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray.
• For the cupcakes:
• In a tall glass, combine cocoa mix with 2 ounces hot water. Stir until cocoa dissolves. Add 6 ounces cold water and stir well.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, egg substitute, sweetener, and salt. Add cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Evenly distribute cake mixture among the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.
• To make the glaze:
• Put the marshmallow creme in a small dish. Add soymilk and mix well.
• Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, drizzle marshmallow glaze over them. Top each cupcake with 1/4 teaspoon chocolate chips and one mini marshmallow.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish the cupcakes with additional chocolate chips and marshmallows, if using.

"FROM THE HEART" CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs.
• In medium microwavable bowl, microwave white baking chips uncovered on High 45 seconds. Stir; if necessary, microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until chips are melted and smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in frosting until well blended. Immediately frost cupcakes, or pipe frosting on cupcakes.
• Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on Medium (50%) 30 seconds. Stir; microwave in 10-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Place chocolate in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe 24 heart shapes on waxed paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set chocolate. Garnish each cupcake with a chocolate heart. Store loosely covered.

MIDNIGHT MOLTEN BROWNIE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Generously grease 12 muffin cups (2 3/4x1 1/4 inches). In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter uncovered on High 45 to 60 seconds or until melted and mixture can be stirred smooth.
• In large bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or electric mixer until foamy. Reserve chocolate syrup pouch from brownie mix. Gradually beat dry brownie mix into egg mixture until well blended. Gently stir in melted chocolate mixture. Fill muffin cups half full of brownie mixture; top each with 1/2 teaspoon decors. Top with remaining brownie mixture.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set and internal temperature is at least 160°F. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Centers will be soft. Cool 2 minutes.
• Loosen each cupcake with knife; turn upside down onto heatproof tray or cookie sheet. To serve, place cupcake on plate; drizzle with reserved chocolate syrup and top with additional decors.

SALTED TURTLE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, 30 minutes.
• In 3-quart saucepan, melt caramels with whipping cream over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into medium resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above frosting. To fill cupcakes, insert tip of plastic bag halfway into cupcake center and squeeze until you see caramel start to surface.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting; drizzle with remaining caramel. Sprinkle with pecans and sea salt.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups or spray with cooking spray. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon frosting into medium bowl; tint with purple food color. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Top with rock candy. Cut out each snack cake to look like crescent moon. Garnish cupcakes with moon cutouts.