Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 (1 ounce) bottle McCormick® Red Food Color
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners’ sugar

Candy Glass

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cream of tartar

Edible Fake Blood

• corn syrup
• 4 parts red food coloring
• 1 part blue food coloring
• cornstarch

Recipe:

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
4. Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and McCormick(R) Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Edible Fake Blood

1. In a small bowl add corn syrup. Add food coloring, adjusting and multiplying to desired saturation. Add cornstarch a little at a time until desired thickness is reached. Drizzle on food for a creepy effect!

Candy Glass

1. Mix 2 cups water, 1 cup corn syrup, white sugar, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
2. Use a candy thermometer and boil sugar syrup until temperature reaches 300 degrees (hard ball), stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken as water evaporates.
3. When sugar reaches 300 degrees, quickly pour onto a metal baking pan. Cool until completely hardened
4. Break into “shards” using a meat mallet.

During holidays, such as Halloween, Pinterest treats are the perfect way to kickstart the festivities. They always crazy and fun to make but the halloween treats that are available are truly some of the most creative out there. I decided to make bloody red velvet cupcakes with my friend, Ariel Traver, and they ended up absolutely perfect thanks to her help. I would definitely suggest working on these with a friend because working through all the different steps may take some time, but they are so worth it. Not only are they smooth and moist, they are the perfect thing to get you started getting in the Halloween spirit because the aftermath of those pots and pans will make it look like your kitchen came straight out of one of those traditional horror movies.