Since we kicked off the Halloween season yesterday with a beWITCHing cupcake liner craft, I thought we’d continue on with the cupcake love.  Cupcakes are the perfect treat for children’s Halloween parties because they are pre-portioned and easy to serve {and clean up}!  Little ghosts and goblins love cupcakes, along with their parents.  Moms who don’t eat cake {gasp!} are often enticed by a cupcake.  While dads won’t hesitate to woof down two… three… ah, who’s counting really!  And after today’s post, you’ll have a super easy way to create wickedly cool cupcakes for your guests.

We are big fans of Brittany over at Edible Details and she has been busy in the kitchen creating the most frightfully fun Halloween cupcake toppers!  Honestly, they’re like little costumes for your cupcakes… such an easy way to transform any cupcake into a spooky treat!  Whether you start from scratch, break open a box or throw a dozen into your shopping cart, your cupcakes will look hauntingly good!  Take a peek at these edible Halloween Cupcake Toppers…

The black raven topper is so sleek and modern with its spooky silhouette.  And the witch’s hat with its curved tip and antique buckle could not be more charming!  And I’m really loving these black and white spider toppers below…

This next set has to be my favorite though… sassy colors, stripes and glitter!

Whether they adorn your homemade cupcakes or disguise some store bought goodies, these edible cupcake toppers will be the hit of the Halloween Bash!  A huge thanks to Brittany for sharing her Spook-tacular Halloween Cupcake Toppers with us!  You can see more of Brittany’s edible fondant creations on the Edible Details Website and FaceBook Page.

Quick Reference Links:
Website:  Edible Details
Be a Fan: Facebook Page

I generally have a rule about rushing the season… that is, I try not to.  But Halloween has been in the stores for so long now that it’s starting to go on clearance.  So today, I’m officially kicking off the Halloween season here on Half Baked!  And what better way to start things off than with a fun Halloween Cupcake Liner Craft?  If you’re a regular reader, you know we love a good cupcake liner craft!  And why not?  They’re adorable, easy and make great use of the extra cupcake liners we all have lying around.

Over the weekend, I got into the Halloween spirit and came up with a fun new tutorial for you.  In a few simple steps, you’ll brew up these bewitching Halloween cupcake toppers.  So break out your scissors, extra baking liners and let’s get started!  Perfect for Halloween treats and easy enough for the kids to craft… hope you enjoy my Cupcake Liner Witch Hats!

Cupcake Liner Witch Hats

Tools:
Cupcake Liners
Mini Cupcake Liners
Double Sided Tape
Toothpicks
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Grab a regular sized cupcake liner.  Fold liner in half.  Fold in half again, creating a pie-like wedge.  Tape the two flaps together using double sided tape, so that you have one solid triangle.
2. Fold in half again.  Tape again.  Now you should have a tall skinny wedge that is 1/8 the size of your original circle.  If your liner is now a flat triangle due to folding, fluff it up with your finger so that it makes a cone.
3. Insert a toothpick into your cupcake and place your cone on top of the toothpick.  This is the body of your hat.  The toothpick will help your hat stay in place.
4. Grab a mini cupcake liner.  Cut a hole in the middle of the liner.  I found it easiest to do this by folding it in half and then cutting out a ‘C’ shape on the folded edge.  Open up liner and slightly flatten with your hand.  This will be the brim.
5. Slide the brim down over your cone to complete the hat.  Smush and crinkle to add character.  Bend the tip of the hat, if desired.

Whether they top off your delectable homemade cupcakes, spruce up some store bought sweets or provide a Halloween activity for the kiddos… I hope you enjoy these Cupcake Liner Witch Hats!

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, is baking up something sweet today…

I must admit, I was a little stumped with a cupcake recipe for the month of September!  It’s the time of year where summer is coming to a close so you are no longer in the mood for fresh and fruity recipes, but it’s not quite time to whip out the pumpkin and start fall baking either.  So this month, with the help of some feedback from my Facebook fans, I hope I’ve come up with a recipe that you all will enjoy!  It seemed most everyone was looking for something that included chocolate.  One person suggested a turtle cupcake, which I thought was brilliant since those little turtle candies are one of my absolute favorites!  So in an attempt to appeal to most of your wishes, we have chocolate, we have turtle and we even have a little something extra special in the center… cheesecake!  So go grab some caramels, chocolate and pecans and get ready to whip up a batch of these Chocolate Cheesecake Turtle Cupcakes!

I can’t think of better way to satisfy both a cupcake and cheesecake craving than with these mini cakes.  The base of the recipe is a chocolate cake batter, with a dollop of cream cheese mixture on top.  Pop these babies into the oven and about 20 minutes later you have a delicious chocolate cake with a creamy cheesecake center…yum!

The topping on these is as simple as melting some caramels and chocolate and drizzling on top!  Sprinkle with a few chopped pecans and you have yourself the ultimate turtle cupcake in no time!

This recipe is really so versatile and can be switched up in a number of ways.  Why not add some chocolate chips to the cheesecake batter before baking and create a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake…now that’s a mouthfull!  But I know it would be delicious!  Or sprinkle the top of the cupcakes with some of your favorite candy bars instead of the pecans…Snicker’s would be fabulous!  You could even throw a little strawberry jam in to the cheesecake mixture and create a Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake.  You get the idea…get creative and have fun with toppings that you enjoy if Turtles aren’t your thing!

Chocolate Cheesecake Turtle Cupcakes
(makes 18 cupcakes)

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

For the cheesecake:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry cake ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Mix until well combined.
3. In small bowl combine wet cake ingredients: vegetable oil, water, vinegar and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir mixture until combined.
5. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with chocolate batter.
6. In a small bowl combine cheesecake ingredients: cream cheese, sugar and egg. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
7. Use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cream cheese center is firm.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool add the turtle toppings.

For the Turtle Topping:

14 caramels
6 Tbsp half & half, divided
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Unwrap caramels and place in microwave safe bowl with 3 Tbsp half & half. Microwave for 1 1/2 -2 minutes until melted. Stir until smooth and let cool for a few minutes.
2. Place chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp half & half in microwave safe. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes until melted. Stir until smooth.
3. Use a spoon and drizzle caramel and chocolate on top of each cupcake.
4. Sprinkle cupcakes with pecans.

Hope you enjoy!
Lauren

	Lauren is a regular contributor for Half Baked. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.