Bleeding Black Halloween Cupcakes

Directions

1. Begin by preparing the white chocolate filling so it has ample time to cool to room temperature.
2. In a saucepan, warm the heavy cream, rose water extract, and a pinch of sea salt over heat until you see steam rising, but avoid letting it reach a full boil.
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate chips, cover the pan, and allow the chips to sit undisturbed for several minutes.
4. Gently stir the mixture until the white chocolate chips have fully melted and combined with the cream, relying on the residual heat to do the work.
5. Stir in a few drops of red gel food coloring, followed by one or two drops of soft brown gel food coloring to achieve a deep, blood-like hue. Let the ganache cool completely to room temperature before using.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two cupcake trays with paper liners.
7. Prepare your chocolate cake batter, swapping out the standard dutch cocoa powder for black cocoa powder. Mix a small amount of black gel food coloring into the milk before incorporating it into the batter to enhance the dark color.
8. Using a 4 tbsp (¼ cup) cookie scoop, portion the black cake batter into the prepared liners. Cover any leftover batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for later use.
9. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through at the 15-minute mark. For the most even baking, keep both trays on the same oven rack.
10. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; it should come out clean.
11. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and allow them to rest in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.
12. Repeat the baking process with the remaining refrigerated batter.
13. While the cakes are baking and cooling, prepare the frosting.
14. Make your chocolate buttercream, again substituting dutch cocoa powder with black cocoa powder. Near the end of the mixing process, add a few drops of black gel food coloring if a darker shade is desired.
15. Transfer the black buttercream into a large piping bag fitted with a large open or closed star tip.
16. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a sharp knife to carve out a cone or funnel-shaped core from the center of each cake.
17. Spoon the cooled white chocolate ganache into the hollowed-out centers.
18. Pipe the black frosting onto the cupcakes, creating a large swirl or your preferred design.
19. Top each cupcake with your favorite Halloween sprinkles and serve. Be sure to let your guests know the cupcakes will 'bleed' so they can avoid getting 'blood' on their hands or clothing!