I’ve long promised a friend we’d spend an afternoon baking together and that I’d share a few fun techniques. The recipe I chose to teach him is perfect for practicing basic skills while creating something delightfully gross for Halloween: brain cupcakes with a bleeding center. A true baking partner is willing to make spooky treats with you—meet my assistant and mad scientist, Trond!
Brain Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
½ stick (57 grams) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup milk
For the filling:
Raspberry or strawberry jam
For the frosting:
2 sticks (about 226 grams) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pink food coloring
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light. Add the eggs, baking powder, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined and the batter is smooth. Stir in the flour until fully incorporated, then add the milk and mix just until combined. Divide the batter among the lined cups and bake for 16–19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.
While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing until the frosting is creamy. Add pink food coloring (or a touch of red for a deeper hue) and blend until you reach the shade you want.
Filling the cupcakes is optional, but it creates the dramatic “bleeding brain” effect. Use a small paring knife or a cupcake corer to cut a cone-shaped hole from the center of each cupcake. Spoon a generous amount of raspberry or strawberry jam into the cavity. Trim the removed cake piece so it has a flat top and replace it over the jam to conceal the filling.
Spread a thick layer of frosting over each cupcake to form a smooth dome. Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (an Ateco #12 works well) or simply snip the end of a disposable bag to create a round opening. To pipe the brain pattern, divide each cupcake visually into two halves. On one side, pipe a continuous squiggled line that curves along the dome to resemble the folds of a brain. Repeat on the other side so the two halves meet in the center. Work slowly to create rounded, intertwined lines—this gives the realistic, slightly messy brain look.
These cupcakes are a fun, easy way to add a little gore to your Halloween spread. The jam filling provides the dramatic “bleed” when you cut into them, while the piped frosting turns each cupcake into a tiny, creepy brain. Serve them at parties or bring them to any spooky gathering—the slightly messy, homemade look is part of the charm. Happy baking!
Sources:
Design inspired by Martha Stewart