Cupcakes and costumes

Considering the current circumstances, many individuals may prefer celebrating Halloween at home this year by participating in certain activities. These Halloween-themed treats and putting together fun costumes is always an exciting way to celebrate the holiday, whether it is done alone or with friends. Decorated to look like some of the most famous Halloween monsters, these simple recipes are sure to bring more life to this spooky season, while the costumes listed down below feature some of the most popular celebrities today.

Creepy Cupcakes

Ingredients and Tools:

• Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake Mix*

  

• Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix*
• One cup of Vegetable Oil (measure as follow)
• Six Eggs
• Two and a quarter cups of water (measure as follow)
• Two medium-sized bowls
• One whisk
• Cupcake baking tray (Tip: The darker the color, the better the cakes will cook)
• Cupcake liners

* Use a preferred boxed cake mix, it does not have to be Betty Crocker.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Follow the steps for each flavor and mix the batters in separate bowls.
3. Set the batter aside and prepare the baking tray by placing the liners inside.
4. Fill up the cupcake liners with batter two-thirds of the way.

   

5. Bake the cakes for about 14 minutes (Tip: Once the time is up use a toothpick to ensure that the cupcake has been baked fully and there is no raw batter left. If there is, bake the cakes at two-minute intervals, checking every time so they will not burn).
6. Once the cakes are done, take them out and set them aside to cool (Tip: Place them in the fridge to chill. This will prevent frosting from sliding off when it comes time to decorate).

Monster Frosting

Ingredients and Tools:

• Two tubs of Betty Crocker buttercream frosting*
• Black food coloring (tip: If black is not available mix together copious amounts of black and green food coloring until a color similar to black is achieved.)
• Orange food coloring (tip: If orange is not available mix together equal parts of red and yellow food coloring until the desired shade of orange is achieved.)
• Green food coloring
• One chocolate bar
• One bag of mini chocolate chips
• Sprinkles of various colors, such as purple, black and white.

  

• Three Ziploc bags
• Four bowls and spoons
• Scissors 
• A spatula

* Use a preferred tub of frosting, it does not have to be Betty Crocker.

Instructions:

1. Prepare three bowls and scoop equal amounts of frosting into each.
2. Dye each batch separately with each color and mix until the desired shade is achieved.
3. Put the frosting into separate bags and seal them, pushing all the frosting to one corner.
4. For the black and green frosting bags, cut a small hole in the corner of the bags.
5. For the orange frosting bag, cut a medium-sized hole.

For the Skeleton cupcake:

1. With a spatula spread undyed buttercream onto a cupcake.
2. Use the black frosting bag and create small, filled-in, circles for the eyes.
3. Make two raindrop shapes directly between and under the eyes, this will be the nose.
4. Draw a happy face on the bottom and follow that with several lines spread out along the smile.

For the pumpkin cupcake:

1. Take the orange frosting bag and make several stripes of the pumpkin, ensuring that it covers the whole cupcake.
2. With the spatula spread out the top and bottoms of the lines so it appears like they curve out to create a circle.
3. Draw two large triangles to serve as the eyes (do not fill these in).
4. Draw a smaller triangle below the eyes and fill this one in.
5. Draw a zig-zag line at the bottom, this will be the mouth.
6. At the top of the pumpkin draw three short lines, these will be the leaves.

For the Frankenstein cupcake:

1. With the spatula spread green frosting onto the top of the cupcake.
2. Make two small dots on the face in white buttercream.
3. Put two smaller black dots on top.
4. Create an uneven line for the mouth.
5. Draw scars along the sides of the face with lines through them to mimic a sewn together look.
6. At the top make an unnatural looking shape and fill that in, this will be the hair.

   

For the Spider cupcake:

1. Take a spatula and spread buttercream across the top of the cupcake.
2. With the black frosting make several circles (each larger than the last) starting in the center of the cupcake, leaving some space.
3. Take a toothpick and drag it through the circles, this will create a web effect.
4. Cut the chocolate bar into a small oval, place that in the center of the web.
5. Place a mini chocolate chip at the front of the oval. This is the spider’s head.
6. Cut out four thin rectangles and place two around each side of the spider’s body to create the legs.

For the Ghost cupcake:

1. Take the spatula and spread buttercream around the cupcake.
2. Make two small dots on the face with buttercream.
3. Put two smaller black dots on top.

After making the desired amount of monster cupcakes decorate the rest with Halloween sprinkles. (Optional)

1. Take buttercream and spread it on the remaining cupcakes.
2. Separate each bunch of sprinkles into a small bowl or ramekin. 
3. Take each cupcake and dip it into the sprinkles, coating the top.