'Smashing" Cupcakes

Filled with fresh blood (lemon curd) and topped with shards of razor sharp glass and more blood (sugar glass and chocolate syrup), these cupcakes are the perfect show-stopper to any Halloween event! 

Just to put a little warning out there... PLEASE if you're going to make these with little kids, be so careful when it comes to the sugar glass shards as these can actually be extremely sharp! 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 150g unsalted butter, softened 
• 150g golden caster sugar 
• 150g self-raising flour
• 3 medium eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

• 95g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g icing sugar 
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1tbsp milk

For the 'blood' filling: 

• 1 jar of lemon curd 
• Red food colouring

For the shards of glass: 

• 400g granulated sugar
• 125ml glucose syrup
• 1/4tsp cream of tartar
• 250ml water

For the 'bloody' topping:

• 125ml golden syrup
• 2 1/2tbsp cornflour
• 30g cocoa
• Red food colouring

Equipment

• 12 hole cupcake tin
• 12 cupcake cases 
• Sugar thermometer 
• Ice cream scoop
• Piping bag with a star nozzle
• Greaseproof baking tray

Method

For the cupcakes:

1. Line the 12-hole cupcake tin with the cases and preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric or manual whisk until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the flour, eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth. 
4. Using the ice cream scoop, separate the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cases; filling each one at least half way.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. 

Making the buttercream:

1. Beat together the butter and icing sugar until combined. 
2. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.
3. Depending on how thick the mixture is, add milk to loosen it or extra icing sugar to thicken it; until it reaches the desired consistency. 
4. Pop this buttercream into the piping bag and then set this to the side for later. 

For the 'blood' filling:

1. Spoon the lemon curd into a bowl and then mix until the texture is loosened. 
2. Begin to add drops of the food colouring into the curd until you reach a blood like colour. 
3. Set to the side for later. 

For the shards of glass: 

1. In a saucepan, put all of the ingredients and mix slightly. 
2. Place the sugar thermometer into the pan and begin heating. Without stirring, wait until the mixture reaches 300F or the 'hard crack' stage on your thermometer. 
3. Once the temperature is reached, quickly pour the mixture onto the greaseproof baking tray and leave to the side to set. 

For the 'blood' topping: 

1. In a small bowl, add the golden syrup, cornflour and cocoa powder. Mix together with a fork until fully combined. 
2. Begin to add drops of the red food colouring until a deeper red blood colour is achieved. 

Assembly: 

1. Taking a rolling pin, smash the sugar glass a coupe of times until you have a decent number of shards.
2. Taking a serrated knife, core out the middle of your cupcakes and then fill with your 'blood' (you can eat the middle bit). 
3. Pipe some buttercream onto the top of each cupcake and then stick as many shards of sugar glass into the top as you want. Take a cocktail stick or spoon to then drizzle some of the chocolate blood syrup onto and around the shards. 
4. Make a cuppa, kick your legs up, enjoy this little moment of joy and please please please, don't actually cut yourself!

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCppLwLPWWEy4P8-LB14-1uQ