Bleeding Black Halloween Cupcakes

Directions

1. Begin by preparing the white chocolate ganache filling, as it needs time to cool completely.
2. In a saucepan, warm the heavy cream with the rose water extract and a pinch of salt over medium heat until it begins to steam—just shy of a boil.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the white chocolate chips, and cover the pan. Let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Stir the mixture gently until the chocolate chips are fully melted and smooth, using only the residual heat.
5. Add a few drops of red gel coloring and stir. Then add 1–2 drops of soft brown gel coloring to achieve a deep, blood-like red. Set the ganache aside to reach room temperature, then keep it aside until needed.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two cupcake trays with paper liners.
7. Prepare the chocolate cake batter as per the linked recipe, but substitute the Dutch-process cocoa with black cocoa powder. Before adding the milk, stir in a small amount of black gel food coloring.
8. Using a 4-tablespoon (¼-cup) cookie scoop, portion the black batter into the liners. There will be extra batter; cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
9. Bake both trays in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, rotating the trays after 15 minutes. For best results, place both trays on the same oven rack to ensure even baking.
10. The cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool in the trays for 5–10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
12. Use the reserved batter to bake the second batch of cupcakes, following the same baking process.
13. While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the black buttercream frosting.
14. Follow the linked chocolate buttercream recipe, swapping Dutch-process cocoa for black cocoa. At the end of whisking, add a few drops of black gel coloring if a deeper 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 cut a cone-shaped core from the center of each cupcake, as shown in the tutorial photos.
17. Spoon the room-temperature white chocolate ganache into each cavity.
18. Pipe the black buttercream over the filled cupcakes, creating a large swirl or any design you prefer.
19. Top with Halloween sprinkles and serve. Don't forget to warn your guests that the cupcakes will "bleed" red ganache when bitten, to avoid any messy surprises.