Ready to sink your teeth into the ultimate spooky and sophisticated Halloween treat? These incredible, from-scratch Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes are a bloody good time! We’re talking a rich, velvety, and impossibly moist red velvet cupcake with a sinister secret: a surprise, gushing center of raspberry “blood.” Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and a gruesome set of vampire bite marks, these are the perfect, elegant-yet-eerie centerpiece for your Halloween celebration.
This isn’t just another cupcake recipe; it’s your guide to a show-stopping, festive dessert that is as fun to make as it is to eat. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to the most tender red velvet cake and the brilliant, professional technique for creating a surprise-filled cupcake that is never soggy. Get ready to win every Halloween party with these unforgettable treats.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Spooky & Delicious Halloween Cupcake
What makes these Vampire Cupcakes so spectacularly fun is their incredible, “bloody” surprise filling and their ghoulishly gorgeous decoration. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive baking. The cupcake itself is a classic, from-scratch Red Velvet cupcake, which gets its signature, tender crumb and slight tang from a combination of buttermilk and vinegar. The real magic, however, happens inside. The center of each cupcake is hollowed out, lined with a thin, crisp layer of chocolate, and then filled with a sweet and tart raspberry jam “blood.” The entire cupcake is then crowned with a rich and tangy, homemade cream cheese frosting and finished with two spooky “bite marks” that ooze with more delicious blood.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours 30 minutes (includes cooling & chilling) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 12 cupcakes |
The Vampire’s Lair: The Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic party treat uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and a few brilliant techniques to create its signature spooky look and delicious flavor.
- The Perfect Red Velvet Cupcake:
- Buttermilk & Vinegar: This acidic duo is the classic, non-negotiable secret to a true Red Velvet cake. The acid reacts with the baking soda to create an incredibly light, soft, and tender crumb. It also provides the signature, subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the cake and the frosting.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: A small amount of cocoa is essential for the classic Red Velvet flavor. A Dutch-process cocoa will provide a smooth, rich chocolate note and a deeper red color.
- The “Bloody” Surprise Filling:
- The Chocolate “Coffin”: This is a brilliant, professional baker’s secret! By brushing the inside of your cored-out cupcake with a thin layer of melted chocolate, you are creating a waterproof barrier or “shell.” This is the number one key that will prevent your wet, jammy filling from soaking into the delicate cake crumb and making your cupcakes soggy.
- The Classic Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Softened Cream Cheese & Butter: The non-negotiable secret to a perfectly smooth, creamy, and completely lump-free frosting. It is absolutely essential to use a block of full-fat cream cheese and unsalted butter that have both been softened to a true room temperature.
Step-by-Step to the Best Vampire Cupcakes
This fun and festive project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Bake the Red Velvet Cupcakes
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, sift together the 1 3/4 cups of cake flour, the 1 cup of granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, the 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and the 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.
Step 3: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup of buttermilk, the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, the 1/2 cup of sour cream, the 1 tablespoon of red food coloring, the 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar, the 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and the 1 large egg.
Step 4: Add the wet buttermilk mixture to the dry flour mixture and stir until they are just incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly among your cupcake liners. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
Part 2: Create the “Blood” Filling and Chocolate Shells
Step 1: Use a small, sharp knife or an apple corer to cut out and remove a “plug” from the middle of each of your cooled cupcakes. Step 2 (The Secret to a Non-Soggy Cupcake!): Melt your 3 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil together in the microwave. Use a small brush to coat the inside of each of the cupcake holes with the melted chocolate. Place the cupcakes in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until the chocolate has hardened into a shell. Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together your 1 cup of raspberry jam with 1 drop of red food coloring and 1 tablespoon of water until it is smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of this jam “blood” into each of the chocolate-lined holes.
Part 3: Assemble and Decorate Your Vampire Cupcakes
Step 1: To make the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the 6 tablespoons of room temperature butter until smooth. Add the 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Step 2: Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag that has been fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the frosting on top of your cupcakes to completely cover the jam-filled hole. Step 3 (The Fun Part!): Use the end of a plastic straw to poke two small holes into the frosting on each cupcake to resemble vampire bite marks. Step 4: Drizzle a little of your remaining raspberry jam “blood” into the holes so that it oozes out realistically.
Good Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes (A Fun Halloween Recipe!)
A festive and fun recipe for ‘Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes,’ a perfect treat for a Halloween party. The dessert features a from-scratch, moist red velvet cupcake base. After baking, a hole is cored out of the center of each cupcake, which is then lined with a layer of melted chocolate and filled with a ‘bloody’ red raspberry jam surprise. The cupcakes are topped with a classic, tangy cream cheese frosting. The final ‘vampire bite’ effect is created by poking two small holes in the frosting and drizzling more of the red jam into them.
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring, plus a drop for the filling
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- One 3-ounce semisweet chocolate bar
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 cup raspberry jam
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla, and egg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Fill the Cupcakes: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave. Use a small knife to cut a plug from the middle of each cupcake. Brush the inside of the holes with the melted chocolate and freeze for 15 minutes to harden.
- In a small bowl, whisk the raspberry jam with a drop of red food coloring and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the jam into each of the chocolate-lined holes.
- Make the Frosting and Decorate: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the butter, then the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes to cover the jam-filled hole.
- To create the ‘vampire bites,’ use a plastic straw to poke two holes into the frosting on each cupcake.
- Drizzle the remaining red jam into the holes to resemble blood.
Notes
- Special Equipment: The recipe recommends a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and a plastic straw for decorating.
- Lining the cored-out center of the cupcakes with melted chocolate is a key step that prevents the jam filling from making the cake soggy.
- It is crucial to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the cream cheese frosting from melting.
- The article references a ‘Cook’s Note’ that is not provided in the text.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: The unfrosted cupcakes (before they are cored and filled) can be baked up to 2 days in advance. Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting can also be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store the finished, decorated cupcakes in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a truly moist and tender red velvet cupcake?
The secret is the classic combination of acidic ingredients, like buttermilk and vinegar, reacting with the baking soda. This chemical reaction creates extra lift and a wonderfully soft, light, and tender crumb. The addition of sour cream and oil also guarantees a super moist cake.
Q2: How do you fill a cupcake without the filling making the entire cupcake soggy?
The brilliant, professional trick in this recipe is the chocolate liner. By brushing the inside of your cored-out cupcake with a thin layer of melted chocolate and letting it harden, you are creating a delicious, waterproof barrier. This is the key that prevents the wet, jammy filling from soaking into the delicate cake.
Q3: Can I make these Halloween cupcakes ahead of time for a party?
Yes, absolutely! This is a perfect make-ahead cupcake. You can bake the cupcakes and make the frosting a day or two in advance. For the freshest and most impressive result, it is a great idea to assemble and decorate the cupcakes on the day of your party.
Q4: Can I make this recipe with a boxed cake mix?
Of course! For an even easier shortcut, you can absolutely use your favorite brand of a boxed red velvet cake mix for the cupcake base.
Q5: What makes red velvet cake red?
Traditionally, the red color came from a chemical reaction between the natural anthocyanins in a non-alkalized cocoa powder and the acidic ingredients in the batter. However, modern, Dutch-process cocoa powders no longer create this reaction, so the vibrant, “blood-red” color of a modern Red Velvet cake comes from a generous amount of red food coloring.