Small Batch Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes

My little niece has been asking me over and over again to make some "Halloween Cupcakes" and so, when we were finally ready to make cupcakes and I asked what flavor, she said "Halloween Flavor" . . . ummm okay . . . how about vanilla cupcakes with Halloween sprinkles to turn them into Funfetti?    Great idea!

I didn't want a bunch of cupcakes hanging out in the house, so I made my small batch Vanilla Cupcake recipe (only makes 10 cupcakes) and added pretty Halloween sprinkles.  Then, we topped them with an orange cream cheese frosting, more Halloween sprinkles and some cute little spider toppers that I found at the craft store.  The kids loved them.

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Small Batch Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbl. Halloween colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners and spray with cooking spray; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla and pour into the dry ingredients.  Stir together until almost combined and then stir in the sprinkles until just combined.  Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake for about 17 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool and top with cream cheese frosting and additional sprinkles.

Cream Cheese Frosting
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

8 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
pinch of salt
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
a few drops orange food coloring
milk, only if needed
additional sprinkles, for topping

In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, cream cheese and salt and mix until creamy.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix.  Add remaining one cup of powdered sugar, vanilla extract and food coloring and mix until smooth and creamy.  If frosting is too thick, add a tiny bit of milk and mix until desired consistency.  Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles.  I used a Wilton 1M piping tip on mine.   

Pink Funfetti Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream {Valentine's Day Cupcakes}

I have really grown to love raspberries over this past year.  I owe it to those soda shops where you can get fruit puree in your soda.  Diet Mountain Dew with fresh raspberry puree is my go-to.  

I took my favorite go-to vanilla cupcake recipe and added pink sprinkles.  They turned into the prettiest pink speckled cupcakes with a nice vanilla flavor and a hint of almond.  Then, I topped them with a beautiful raspberry buttercream frosting.    

This frosting has real raspberry flavor.  Thanks to freeze-dried raspberries, you get the fresh berry flavor without adding extra moisture from fresh fruit.  Plus, no food coloring is needed to achieve this beautiful raspberry color.

The frosting is a perfect balance of tart and sweet.  However, if you don't care for raspberries, you could always use freeze-dried strawberries.  Also, this frosting will have seeds, because raspberries have seeds :)

If you are a raspberry lover, you have got to make these cupcakes.  

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Pink Funfetti Cupcakes
(Printable Recipe)

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

5 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. pink sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix well.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry.  Mix until just combined. Stir in sprinkles.  

Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.  Fill liners 2/3 full.  For regular cupcakes: Bake about 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but be careful to not over bake. Yields: 28-30 cupcakes.  Cool completely and top with frosting.  

Raspberry Buttercream

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

12 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature

pinch of salt

1 (1.4 oz.) pkg. freeze-dried raspberries (I use Trader Joes)

4 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 Tbl. milk

Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a food processor.  Make sure to take out the white packet that's in the package and discard.  Pulse the raspberries until they're a fine powder; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and salt and mix (using a hand mixer or stand mixer) until creamy. Add the raspberry powder and mix until combined.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, adding milk as you go, until desired consistency is reached.  Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  I used a 1M Wilton piping tip.  

Base Cupcake Recipe adapted from: Ina Garten