Halloween Themed Cupcakes

Yup and preparing them in stages makes the whole process much easier. Make the white chocolate ganache the night before and leave it covered in the fridge overnight. You can also bake the cupcakes a day ahead, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The next day simply whip the frosting, pipe it onto the cupcakes and add the raspberry blood splatters. This way you can enjoy decorating them without having to do everything at once. For the freshest appearance, add the raspberry sauce shortly before serving.

This is one of the reasons we love this recipe because it allows to make something with a spooky design the day before a fall party.

The secret is to use full fat cream cheese, keep the ingredients cold and avoid overbeating. Choose a firm full fat block of cream cheese rather than a low fat or whipped spreadable variety. This is what can produce a softer frosting. For this recipe chill the white chocolate and cream mixture overnight, then beat the cold cream cheese separately until smooth before adding the ganache.

Whip only until the frosting becomes thick and holds its shape. If it feels too soft, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before piping. Adding more sugar is not the best first fix from our experience as it can make the frosting excessively sweet. After making these numerous times we've found that using the magic of the fridges cold temperature works wonders to make everything hold better.

Since these cupcakes have a frosting made with cream cheese and double cream, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They are best enjoyed within 2 to 3 days. For the nicest texture and flavour let them sit at room temperature for around 15 to 20 minutes before serving, provided the room is cool. Avoid leaving them out for several hours, especially at a warm Halloween party. If you are transporting them it's best to use a cupcake carrier and keep them chilled until you are ready to serve.

Dry cupcakes are usually caused by too much flour or baking them for too long, while dense cupcakes can result from overmixing the batter or using incorrect ingredient proportions. Weigh the flour rather than relying on cups and mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture only until the flour disappears. Check the cupcakes from 18 minutes onwards as ovens can vary. They are ready when the tops spring back gently and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Avoid baking them until the edges become dark or crisp. The butter and neutral oil in this recipe work together to give you a tender crumb with a lovely buttery flavour that stays soft after chilling.

From our own home bakes we've found anywhere from 18 to 22 minutes seems to work perfect.

Use a smooth raspberry sauce or seedless raspberry coulis for a realistic blood splatter effect. If you have raspberry jam you can push it through a fine sieve and mix in a few drops of water until it is thin enough to drizzle. Let the sauce cool completely before using it. Spoon a little over the piped frosting and allow a few drops to run down the sides. For a more dramatic effect use a small spoon to flick a few tiny drops across the white frosting, taking care to protect your work surface and clothes. Add the sauce shortly before serving so it doesn't run too far into the frosting. Ouch!

For the best results freeze the cupcakes without the frosting. Once completely cool place the unfrosted cakes in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them in their container at room temperature, then prepare the chilled white chocolate cream cheese frosting and decorate as usual. I would avoid freezing the fully decorated desserts if you want the frosting and raspberry splatters to look their best, as the frosting may become grainy or release moisture as it thaws. If you need to work ahead then the unfrosted cupcakes, overnight ganache and raspberry sauce can all be prepared separately making final assembly much easier. This is what we prefer to do whenever we bake these up for a party.