Description
Tremors Cupcakes are a fun, spooky treat perfect for Halloween or any monster-themed party. Featuring moist vanilla cupcakes topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, these cupcakes are decorated with molasses cookie beaks and fondant tentacles, all surrounded by a crunchy cookie crumb ‘sand’ for an extra eerie effect.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 3 large eggs
Cookie Beaks
- 1 package Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 large egg
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 6-8 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Tentacles and Cookie Sand
- Fist size amount of store bought fondant
- 2-3 drops red food dye
- 1/4 tsp cocoa powder
- 15 Biscoff Cookies
- 2 graham crackers
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla cake mix, water, oil, and eggs until no lumps remain. Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Once done, set aside to cool completely.
- Make Cookie Beaks: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix, softened butter, water, and egg with a wooden spoon or mixer until dough forms. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick between parchment paper sheets and freeze until firm. Using card stock stencils of one large oblong triangle and three smaller triangles per cupcake, cut shapes from the frozen dough. If dough softens, refreeze as needed. Place each piece carefully on an inverted bundt cake pan and bake 6-8 minutes until done. Let cookies cool completely on the pan before removing. Repeat until all cookie pieces are baked.
- Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Using a paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add 6 cups of powdered sugar along with cream and vanilla extract. Mix on low until blended, then beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add additional powdered sugar one cup at a time until the frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Create Tentacles and Cookie Sand: Knead a small fist-sized amount of store-bought fondant with 2-3 drops of red food dye until color is uniform, then add 1/4 tsp cocoa powder and knead until desired shade is achieved. For cookie sand, pulse 15 Biscoff cookies and 2 graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground to a sand-like texture.
- Assemble Tremors Cupcakes: Pipe vanilla buttercream frosting generously on each cooled cupcake. Roll or dip the sides of the frosting into the cookie crumb mixture to coat evenly. Insert cookie beak pieces into the frosting to form a beak shape. Place fondant tentacles inside the beak openings. Sprinkle additional cookie sand inside each mouth for a finishing touch. Serve immediately and enjoy the spooky delight!
Notes
- Keep the cookie dough chilled during cutting for easy handling.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Adjust powdered sugar in frosting to achieve your preferred thickness.
- Fondant coloring can be adjusted for different monster effects.
- Cookie sand can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
