Description

These Eyeball Cupcakes are a spooky and fun treat perfect for Halloween or any eerie occasion. Featuring moist red velvet cupcakes topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, each cupcake is decorated with handmade fondant irises painted in vibrant colors and finished with edible fake blood to resemble creepy eyeballs. The recipe combines classic baking techniques with creative decoration for a frightfully delightful dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups cake flour (160g)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (5g)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
1/4 tsp fine salt (2g)
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (56g)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (133g)
2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (120g)
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil (73g)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
1/2 tsp red gel food coloring or 1 Tbsp liquid food coloring

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
1/4 tsp fine salt (2g)
2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature (30g)

Edible Fake Blood

1/3 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam (95g)
2 Tbsp water (30g)
1/4 tsp red gel food coloring or 1 tsp liquid food coloring (optional)

Suggested Tools / Decoration

1/3 cup White Fondant
2 Tbsp Black Fondant
Small Paint Brush
Gel Food Coloring: blue, purple, and/or green
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Muffin tin
Cupcake liners
Small Whisk
Large Piping Bag
Large Round Piping Tip (like a Wilton 2A)
Small Piping Bag
Small Round Piping Tip (like a Wilton 3)

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Instructions

Prepare Fondant Iris: Knead white fondant until warm, roll it out, and cut 12 one-inch circles. Dust counter with cornstarch if fondant sticks. Mix gel food coloring with clear alcohol or extract and paint each white circle’s top. Cut 12 black fondant pupils about one-third inch in diameter and place in the center of each painted iris. Use a paintbrush to streak the paint from the pupil edges to the iris edges for a spooky look, letting the paint dry as needed.
Make Red Velvet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with 12 liners. Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer at medium-high speed for one minute until lightened. Add eggs one at a time at medium speed, scraping bowl as needed. Mix in buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and red food coloring on low speed. Add dry ingredients in two parts on low speed, mixing just until flour is incorporated. Divide batter evenly and bake 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Beat butter for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add vanilla extract and salt, beating on low until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar on very low speed, mixing in heavy cream halfway to ease blending. Continue mixing on low for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Adjust consistency with more cream or powdered sugar if needed. Fill a large piping bag fitted with a round tip and seal.
Make Edible Fake Blood: Whisk seedless raspberry jam, water, and optional red gel food coloring until thin and smooth. Transfer to a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip and seal. If a small tip is unavailable, cut a tiny opening in the bag’s tip. Prop the tip upward to prevent dripping.
Decorate Cupcakes: Once cooled, pipe a large round mound of buttercream on each cupcake and gently tap to smooth. Place a fondant iris atop the buttercream center. Chill cupcakes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm frosting. Carefully pipe veins of edible blood around the sides of each cupcake. Serve and enjoy your eerie eyeball cupcakes!

Notes

For mini eyeball cupcakes, use mini muffin tins to make about 40 mini cupcakes and bake for 9-10 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and texture.
Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling or use a kitchen scale.
Mix batter only until combined to keep cupcakes tender and fluffy.
Use a large cookie scoop to ensure even cupcake heights.
Banging the cupcake pan on the counter before baking removes air bubbles for a smoother bake.
Seal piping bags with rubber bands to prevent frosting leakage and ease piping.
For gluten-free cupcakes, substitute the cake flour with a gluten-free flour blend and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes before baking.
Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Buttercream frosting can be stored refrigerated or frozen; stir well upon thawing.
Frost cupcakes just before serving for best texture, but frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days or left out 3 hours.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 32 g
Sodium: 190 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg