Description
Bleeding Brain Cupcakes are a thrilling treat perfect for Halloween or any themed gathering. With their rich red velvet base and a fruity jam surprise inside, these cupcakes are not only visually captivating but also bursting with flavor. Topped with a delightful pink buttercream icing designed to resemble brains, they will be the highlight of your dessert table. Easy to make, even for novice bakers, these cupcakes invite creativity—whether you opt for strawberry or raspberry jam, each bite is a festive delight. Bring fun and spookiness to your next celebration with these charming and delicious cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 150 g unsalted butter or baking spread (softened)
- 150 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85 ml buttermilk
- 165 g self-raising flour
- 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp red food coloring
- 200 g strawberry or raspberry jam
- 200 g unsalted butter (softened) for icing
- 400 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for icing
- 2 tbsp milk for icing
- Pink food coloring for icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a cupcake tin with black cases.
- Whisk together softened butter and caster sugar until fluffy using an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, mixing well.
- Incorporate buttermilk, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, red food coloring, and self-raising flour until just combined.
- Divide the batter among the cupcake cases, filling them about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking doneness with a skewer.
- Cool completely on a rack before coring each cupcake to fill with jam.
- Prepare pink buttercream by mixing softened butter until creamy, adding icing sugar gradually.
- Mix in milk and vanilla extract along with pink food coloring to achieve desired shade.
- Pipe the buttercream onto cooled cupcakes for that brain-like effect.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: Use room temperature ingredients for even mixing and fluffier results. Don’t overmix the batter; lumps are fine to maintain lightness. Experiment with different fruit jams to suit your taste.