S'MORES MONSTER CUPCAKES

S'mores Monster Cupcakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Time 2h15m

Yield 12 cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups marshmallow creme
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Purple, orange, neon green, blue and black gel food coloring, for coloring the frosting
12 chocolate-covered graham cracker cookies
Candy eyeballs, as needed

Steps:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with black cupcake liners.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Microwave the milk in a large microwave-safe bowl until bubbling, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cocoa until dissolved. Whisk in the granulated sugar, oil, vanilla and egg until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture until combined.
Divide the batter among the cupcake liners (about 1/4 cup per liner). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
For the frosting: Meanwhile, beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light, fluffy and almost double in size, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the marshmallow creme and confectioners' sugar and beat until just combined, about 1 minute.
Divide the frosting into 5 separate bowls. Color one bowl with purple gel food coloring, one bowl with orange gel food coloring, one bowl with neon green gel food coloring, one bowl with blue gel food coloring and one with black. Spoon into 5 separate piping bags fitted with small star tips (we used a size 15 tip).
For the decorations: Pipe monster faces and hair on top of the chocolate-covered graham cookies. Decorate with candy eyes. Use the remaining frosting to pipe on top of the cupcakes. Place one decorated cookie on top of each cupcake.