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    Home » Cake recipes

    By Emily Leary. Last updated Feb 15, 2022. Green links are Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes

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    These red velvet Halloween cupcakes boast a flavourful, tender sponge, a smooth and delicious cream cheese frosting and a gorily good blood red syrup.

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes, spattered with red syrup. The one in the foreground has been unwrapped and has a bite out of it.

    They're sure to amaze your friends and family this Halloween, but they're actually really easy to make. In fact, making the cupcake batter is a two step process! One: measure margarine, milk, sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and food colouring into a bowl. Two: whisk! And that's it - your batter will be ready to spoon into cupcake cases and bake to produce gorgeously velvety cupcakes.

    Making the cream cheese frosting is really easy too. If you're ever used cream cheese in frosting, you'll know that it can easily go slack and turn your buttercream to liquid. The great news is, using the method detailed below (learned while training with Leiths School of Food and Wine), that won't be an issue and you'll beautiful, pipeable buttercream.

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes, spattered with red syrup. The one in the foreground has been unwrapped.

    And for the blood red syrup? Well, that's just golden syrup dyed blood red with a little natural colouring and, as you can see, it's very effective!

    Here's how to make my gruesome red velvet Halloween cupcakes. I've also popped a link below for the little edible knife toppers if you want to pick them up to complete the look.

    Ingredients

    For the sponges

    • 4 medium free-range eggs
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) white self-raising flour (self rising flour)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) margarine
    • 4 tbsp whole milk
    • 2 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)
    • 2 tsp red gel food colouring vegetarian if required

    For the cream cheese frosting

    • 400 g (14.1 oz) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) slightly salted butter softened
    • 220 g (7.8 oz) cream cheese chilled
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract

    For the “blood” syrup

    • 50 g (1.8 oz) golden syrup
    • ½-1 tsp (0.5 tsp) red food colouring

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Mixing bowl
    • Electric whisk
    • Silicone spatula
    • 12-hole muffin tray
    • Cupcake cases
    • Sieve
    • Piping bag
    • Star piping nozzle
    • Small mixing bowl

    Instructions

    Make the sponges

    Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).

    Line a muffin tray with cupcake cases.

    A muffin tray lined with cupcake cases. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the tin.

    Put the margarine, milk, sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and food colouring in a large mixing bowl.

    Margarine, milk, sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and food colouring in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Beat together until smooth and pale.

    Red velvet cake batter in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Spoon the batter into the cases, sharing evenly between them, and level off.

    Red velvet cake batter in a muffin tray lined with cupcake cases. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the tin.

    Bake for approximately 25 minutes until risen and springy on top.

    Red velvet cupcakes in a muffin tray. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the tin.

    Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Red velvet cupcakes on a wire cooling rack. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the tin.

    Make the cream cheese frosting

    Put the softened butter in a bowl.

    Cubed butter in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Whisk until creamy. 

    Whipped butter in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Sift in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract.

    Butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Whisk. At first it will seem clumpy.

    Butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract roughly mixed together in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Keep whisking for a few minutes until very pale, creamy and increased in volume.

    Vanilla buttercream in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Add the chilled cream cheese. 

    Vanilla buttercream in a glass bowl with cream cheese on top. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Fold together gently. Don't overwork it as it will loosen. If it looks like it’s starting to loosen, pop in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. 

    Cream cheese frosting in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make red velvet Halloween cupcakes surround the bowl.

    Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe swirls on top of the completely cooled cakes. 

    Cream cheese frosting piped on top of red velvet Halloween cupcakes on a wire rack.

    Make the blood syrup

    Put the golden syrup and a drop of food colouring into a small bowl. 

    Golden syrup and a drop of red colouring in a small bowl.

    Mix, adding more colour if necessary until a translucent blood red is achieved. 

    Golden syrup dyed red in a small bowl.

    Drizzle the syrup over the cupcakes.

    Cream cheese frosting piped on top of red velvet Halloween cupcakes on a wire rack. One has been drizzled with red syrup.

    I added little store bought knife toppers to complete the spooky Halloween look.

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes, spattered with red syrup.

    Happy Halloween!

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes, spattered with red syrup. A hand reaches for one with a bite out of it.

    Print these red velvet Halloween cupcakes

    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Red velvet Halloween cupcakes

    These red velvet Halloween cupcakes boast a flavourful, tender sponge, a smooth and delicious cream cheese frosting and a gorily good blood red syrup.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: cakes and bakes, halloween
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Author: Emily Leary

    Ingredients

    For the sponges

    • 4 medium free-range eggs
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) white self-raising flour (self rising flour)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) margarine
    • 4 tbsp whole milk
    • 2 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)
    • 2 tsp red gel food colouring vegetarian if required

    For the cream cheese frosting

    • 400 g (14.1 oz) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
    • 200 g (7.1 oz) slightly salted butter softened
    • 220 g (7.8 oz) cream cheese chilled
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract

    For the “blood” syrup

    • 50 g (1.8 oz) golden syrup
    • ½-1 tsp (0.5 tsp) red food colouring

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Mixing bowl
    • Electric whisk
    • Silicone spatula
    • 12-hole muffin tray
    • Cupcake cases
    • Sieve
    • Piping bag
    • Star piping nozzle
    • Small mixing bowl

    Instructions

    Make the sponges

    • Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
    • Line a muffin tray with cupcake cases.
    • Put the margarine, milk, sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and food colouring in a large mixing bowl. Beat together until smooth and pale.
    • Spoon the batter into the cases, sharing evenly between them, and level off.
    • Bake for approximately 25 minutes until risen and springy on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Make the cream cheese frosting

    • Put the softened butter in a bowl and whisk until creamy.
    • Sift in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract.
    • Whisk until very pale, creamy and increased in volume.
    • Add the chilled cream cheese.
    • Fold together gently. Don't overwork it as it will loosen. If it looks like it’s starting to loosen, pop in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
    • Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe swirls on top of the completely cooled cakes.

    Make the blood syrup

    • Put the golden syrup and a drop of food colouring into a small bowl.
    • Mix, adding more colour if necessary until a translucent blood red is achieved.
    • Drizzle the syrup over the cupcakes. I added little store bought knife toppers to complete the spooky Halloween look.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 1347IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    * Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram or tag @EmilyLearyCooks on Twitter. I can't wait to see your posts!

    Pin these red velvet Halloween cupcakes

    Collage of red velvet Halloween cupcakes, spattered with red syrup.  Caption reads: Red velvet Halloween cupcakes. Quick recipe. Step-by-step guide.
    Red velvet Halloween cupcake, spattered with red syrup, with a bite out of it. Caption reads: Red velvet Halloween cupcakes.
    Red velvet Halloween cupcake, spattered with red syrup, with a bite out of it. A hand reached for it. Caption reads: Red velvet Halloween cupcakes.
    Red velvet Halloween cupcake, spattered with red syrup. Caption reads: Step-by-step recipe. Halloween cupcakes.
    Red velvet Halloween cupcake, spattered with red syrup. It has a bite out of it. Caption reads: Red velvet Halloween cupcakes. Step-by-step recipe.
    Red velvet Halloween cupcake, spattered with red syrup. It has a bite out of it. Caption reads: Step-by-step recipe. Red velvet Halloween cupcakes. Easy and delicious.

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    Emily Leary. Chef. Multi-award-winning food writer, presenter and photographer. Author of bestselling book, "Get Your Kids to Eat Anything".

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