Monster Eye Cupcakes #Recipe

Monster Eye Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 1/2 C  flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg, room temp
2 large egg whites, room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 C buttermilk
Red & green gel food coloring

Frosting Ingredients:

4 C powdered sugar
1 C unsalted butter, room temp
4+ TBSP of heavy whipping cream
Red & green gel food coloring
Shredded coconut
Red & green gum drops
Red & green colored toothpicks
Candy eyes

Cupcake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
-Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Sit aside.
-Using  an electric stand mixer whip the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy in the mixing bowl.
-Add in an egg, then the egg whites one at a time.  Add the vanilla with the second egg white.
-In a cup measure out the buttermilk.
-Start to mix 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk. Mix after each addition only until just combined.
-Divide the batter equally into two bowls. In the first bowl mix several drops of red gel food coloring. Mix the red color into the frosting. In the second bowl add several drops of green gel food coloring.  Mixing well.
-After all ingredients are blended scoop the batter into the paper lined cupcake pan until each tin is 3/4’s filled.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
-Allow cupcakes to cool in cupcake pan for 10 minutes.
-Remove cupcakes from pan and place each on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Frosting Directions: 

-Work with the butter and powder sugar until it is smooth and looks creamy.
-Test to see if the frosting can form and hold a stiff peak by taking a spoonful of frosting and turning the spoon upside down. If the frosting stays on the spoon it is ready if not then….
– Add more powder sugar 1/2 C at a time…. mix well.
-Divide the frosting equally into two bowls.  In one bowl add the red gel food coloring, mixing well to blend the color throughout the frosting.
-In bowl # two add several drop of the green gel food coloring.  Beat the color into the frosting to make sure that all of the color is blended in the frosting.
-If ready scoop the  frosting  into the  pastry bag with a large tip.
-Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip.
-Begin frosting the cupcake by working from the outer edge to the center of the cupcake.

Coloring the coconut directions: 

-Divide the bag of coconut into half.
-Place each half in a separate zip lock bag.
-In the first bag add the red gel food coloring.
-Seal the zip lock bag.  Knead the food coloring into the coconut until all of the coconut is red.
-Leave the red coconut sit in the bag for about 30 minutes.  Place the coconut in a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove any excess coloring.  Place the coconut on paper towels  to allow it to dry prior to adding to the frosted cupcakes.
-In the second bag of coconut add the green gel food coloring. Seal the zip lock bag. Knead the green food coloring into the coconut until all of the coconut is green.  Leave the green colored coconut in the bag for 30 minutes.  Put the green coconut in a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove any excess coloring.  Lay the coconut on paper towels until it is dry.

Monster eye directions: 

-Stick the green colored toothpicks through the middle of the green gumdrops.
-Stick the red colored toothpicks through the middle of the red gumdrops.
-Apply a small (2) dots of green frosting to the green gum candy, stick the candy eyes to each frosting dots.  Set aside to dry.
-Apply a small (2) dots of red frosting to the red gum candy, stick the candy eyes to each frosting dots. Set aside to dry.

Adding coconut and eyes to frosted cupcakes:

-Add the green tinted coconut to the green frosted cupcakes.  Add the green toothpick gumdrop eyes on top of the cupcake.
-Add the red tinted coconut to the red frosted cupcake. Add the red toothpick gumdrop eyes on top of each of the cupcakes.

Hint: If the coconut doesn’t stick to the frosting use a spray bottle with water and very slightly damped the frosting.