Bleeding Zombie Cupcake Recipe

These frightfully delicious Bleeding Zombie Hand Halloween cupcakes feature a chocolate pumpkin cupcake with pumpkin filling and chocolate frosting.

• 1 cup + 2½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup + 3¾ tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup + 2½ teaspoons buttermilk
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1¾ teaspoons pumpkin puree
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2.25 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1¾ teaspoons dark brown sugar
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1¾ teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs

Oreo decorations:

• 7 finely crushed Oreo sandwich cookies
• 6 Oreo Fudgees sandwich cookies, pulled apart and filling removed
• 12 zombie hand cupcake toppers from Bake It Pretty

Pumpkin buttercream:

• ½ cup + 2½ teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons + 1⅛ teaspoons pumpkin puree
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate buttercream:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup milk (plus a few tablespoons to adjust consistency)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl; set aside.
3. Combine buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a bowl; set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugars together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
5. Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes completely, then using the cone method, fill cupcakes with pumpkin buttercream (recipe follows).
7. Frost each cupcake with chocolate frosting (recipe follows), then dip the frosted tops into the finely crushed Oreos to evenly coat. Stick an Oreo Fudgee “tombstone” into the top of each cupcake, and place a zombie hand in front of it.

For the pumpkin buttercream:

With electric mixer, cream butter and pumpkin (mixture will look grainy). Turn mixer to low and add cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla. Slowly add ½ cup confectioners’ sugar at a time until the buttercream is creamy and no longer separating (the mixture will look grainy if there isn’t enough sugar mixed in).

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth with each addition . Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes.