Halloween Horror Cupcakes

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted oven)/Gas Mark 4. Line 2 x 12 hole muffin trays with paper cupcake cases (see Tips).
2. Make up the cake mix as directed on the box with the eggs, oil (or butter) and milk or water. Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases.
3. Bake both trays in the oven together for 18-22 minutes. Leave in the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
4. Spoon 1 tub of the vanilla icing into a bowl and add enough orange food colouring paste or gel to colour it bright orange. Colour another 375g of the icing in a second bowl using green food colouring paste or gel. Leave the remaining 25g of icing white.
5. To decorate the pumpkin cupcakes: spoon the orange icing into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe peaked swirls on 8 of the cupcakes. Place one piece of chocolate stick in the top of each swirl for the pumpkin stalk. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the green icing into a small disposable piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle (see Tips). Pipe tendrils of green icing around each stalk (reserve the remaining green icing in the piping bag for the graveyard cupcakes).
6. To decorate the Frankenstein cupcakes: spoon the rest of the green icing into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe swirls on another 8 of the cupcakes. Scatter the chocolate strands on a flat plate. Invert each cupcake onto the strands pressing down gently to slightly flatten the icing and create a Frankenstein head shape (reserve any remaining chocolate strands for the graveyard cupcakes). Press 2 edible candy eyeballs and 2 chocolate sticks (to resemble bolts) into the icing of each cupcake. Add one long chocolate vermicelli piece or strand above each eye for eyebrows.
7. To decorate the Graveyard cupcakes: spread the chocolate fudge icing roughly over the remaining 8 cupcakes. Spoon the white icing into a small disposable piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle (see Tips) and write RIP on each of the shortcake biscuits. Use a knife to make a little cut into each of the cupcakes and then press each shortcake in. Push the gummy worms into the icing around each gravestone (see Tips). Sprinkle some of the reserved chocolate strands on each cupcake to resemble soil and pipe the reserved green icing to resemble tufts of grass.

Tips

• Choose different coloured cupcake cases for each design if liked. Orange, green and brown cases will work well.
• If you do not have a fine writing nozzle, you can simply snip off a very small amount of the piping bag and fill and use as above.
• Stretch the gummy worms gently to thin them a little before placing on the cupcakes. If you can’t find worms, use long gummy snakes, cut in half and stretched, instead.
• Although best served on the day of decorating, the decorated cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.