Halloween is low key one of my favorite holidays. I say “low key” because I haven’t really celebrated it in years, beyond giving a bucket load of candy to children who come by my house for trick-or-treat, carving pumpkins, and putting fake eyes on baked goods.

However, there is so much more to love about the holiday. Around October 1st, buckets of candy start showing up everywhere. There was even one at my yoga studio. “It’s candy season!” I exclaimed after coming out of class the other day, and an old lady laughed. I also got into a somewhat heated debate with my yoga teacher and the owner of the studio about why tootsie rolls are the worst Halloween candy ever invented. “How can you not like tootsie rolls?” the owner of my studio said. “They’re like chocolate wax.” “You’re proving my point,” I said.

ANYWAY. I digress. I think the reason why I love Halloween is because it gives you an excuse to be whimsical, if you couldn’t find one already. I love costumes. I love celebrating essentially nothing (honestly…what is Halloween about?), and I love eating enough candy and sweet things to make you want to puke.

Which brings me to these cupcakes. They were originally going to be chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, but then I decided to go for it and make them monster cupcakes. Basically, the only thing that changed was the chocolate frosting became “monster” frosting, i.e., dyed purple with food coloring.

I’m glad I went for it because when I look at the cupcakes on my counter, they make my inner child happy. I can’t wait to share them with everyone at work tomorrow. If your baked goods aren’t looking back at you on/around Halloween, it’s probably a good sign that you need to go deeper into spooky season.

Here’s a song to get you started on your monster cupcakes journey.

Monster Cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cakes:
2 cups sifted all-purpose or gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup unsalted butter (1 1/3 sticks), softened to room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk

for the buttercream frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb (454 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
purple food coloring

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, sift the flour and whisk in the baking soda and salt. Sift the cocoa powder into the same bowl and whisk everything to combine it.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it’s lighter colored and a creamy consistency. Add the vanilla extract and sugar and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom. Then, add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk until you’ve added them all. Give the mixture one more stir with the spatula, scraping the sides and bottom and mixing again as needed to make sure everything is combined.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes until the tops spring back to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let them cool in the tin for five minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Do not ice the cupcakes until they’re completely cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt for about a minute. Then add the sifted powder sugar in batches, mixing on the lowest setting and using a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Once it’s mostly combined, add the vanilla and a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time. Increase the speed of the mixer and beat everything until it’s light and fluffy.

To make the frosting purple, add the purple food coloring one drop at a time, beating after each addition, until the frosting is your desired color.

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Enjoy!