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Halloween Eyeball Cupcakes

Tania
This is really the easiest cake. It is perfect for kids and frazzled Mothers. It doesn't taste too sweet, has a soft lovely texture and you just mix it together. It's a moist cake, add spices too if you want, but it's equally good with vanilla alone. Grab yourself some eyeballs or severed fingers and whip these up.

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Cake
Cuisine Cake decorating
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 300 gm caster sugar 1 1/2 cups
  • 300 gm apple puree or sauce unsweetened, 1 1/2 cups
  • 150 ml oil 2/3 cup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 300 gm plain flour about 2 cups
  • 11/2 teaspoons baking soda or bi carb
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest reserve the lemon for juice (below)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt not flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg optional
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice optional or pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tablespoons red food colouring this was liquid. If you have gel use less

Lemon Icing / glaze

  • 50 ml lemon juice
  • 210 gm icing sugar 1 1/2 to 2 cups (280 gm)plus extra in case it needs a bit more thickening
  • 25 gm butter or 1 tablespoon

Instructions
 

Cup cakes

  • Set the oven to 170 C / 340 F
  • You will need 12-16 medium-sized muffin cups ( or texan)
  • Use a medium bowl to mix the eggs, oil, vanilla and apple puree (sauce) together well
  • Mix the flour, lemon zest, baking soda, salt and spices ( if using) in another bowl and then mix the two together till just combined and there are no lumps. Add 1/2 the food colouring and mix. Add more to get the colour you want ( don't go over the 2 Tablespoons of liquid colour or it may alter the mixture). Stir again.
  • Scoop the mixture into the muffin cups using a 1/4 cup measure filling to at least 3/4 of the way up the cup (see picture).
  • Bake for approximately 20- 25 minutes or until they feel firm to touch in the centre when tested by pressing gently with your fingertips.
  • Cool on a cake rack till cold then glaze with the lemon icing, decorating as you please

Icing Glaze

  • Melt the butter and add it to the sifted icing sugar (can be icing sugar mixture).
  • Add half the lemon juice and stir well adding the rest of the juice a little bit at a time, letting hydrate the icing sugar before adding more. It needs to be thick enough to spread evenly without dripping off the cupcake completely. if you need a thicker icing just add a little more sugar. Adding the lemon juice gradually lets you control the thickness first up though.
  • To make the red lines in the eyes, dip a toothpick into red colouring adding just a small amount to the tip. Run the tip lightly over the still wet icing to form very faint red "veins". Let the icing set before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

If you fnd your icing is too thin add more icing sugar a spoon at a time till you have the consistancy you want.
These cupcakes will keep for up to 3 days out of the fridge. 
The cupcakes can be frozen if not decorated
To spice up this cake. Add 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
You could also add 100 gm of poppyseeds if you like!
Keyword dessert