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Photo: James Tse
These adorable cupcakes will get your family into the Halloween spirit in no time. Just wait until your little one takes a bite and sees what’s in the middle: The bat isn’t the only surprise this treat presents.
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
white frosting, or chocolate frosting, homemade or canned (optional)
In a small bowl, mash together the cream cheese, sugar and the first ½ tsp. (2 ml) of vanilla extract. Be careful - this is your basic ectoplasm. Set it aside.
In another bowl, have your young ghostbuster stir together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Meanwhile whisk together the oil, sugar, egg and the remaining ½ tsp. (2 ml) vanilla extract. Stir in the milk.
Add the oil mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until the batter is smooth.
Place 8 paper muffin liners (Halloween-design ones would be nice) into the cups of a muffin pan. Spoon 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the chocolate batter into each muffin liner, then plunk 1 tsp. (5 ml) of the cream cheese (ectoplasm) mixture right into the middle of each one. Finally, add another tablespoon (15 mL) of the chocolate batter on top to completely cover the ghost.
Bake your haunted cupcakes at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle of one comes out pretty clean. Remove from the pan, and let cool completely. You can, if you feel like it, frost these cupcakes with chocolate or white icing, and decorate them in an appropriately ghoulish way.
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