Halloween Bloody Dagger Cupcakes - gluten-free!

Bloody and gorey, these cupcakes have been stabbed to look Halloween appropriate. You could also make these cupcakes vegan if you wanted by changing the cupcake base. These cupcakes are easy to decorate and don't require a special level of cake mastery! The little daggers I purchase at Wheel and Barrow, and you could find icing decorations at speciality food stores, cake suppliers or online.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups (175g) Cup4Cup flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon (3.2g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (110g) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (127g) buttermilk

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup of icing sugar
• 4 tablespoons of butter/vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam
• dagger fondants 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl, combine Cup4Cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together to combine.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the eggs and beat for about 10-20 seconds. Add in sugar and beat on medium for about 30 seconds. Add in vanilla & vegetable oil and mix.

5. Reduce mixer speed to low, slowly add in half of the flour mixture. Add in half the buttermilk, then the other half of the flour and combine. Then add in the rest of the buttermilk and beat until just combined. The batter will be thick.

6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Spoon batter into the lined muffin pan, filling each one about ½-way full.

7. Bake cupcakes in oven for about 12-14 minutes and until cooked through.

8. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

9. Beat together 4 tablespoons of vegan butter or normal butter with 1/2 cup of icing sugar to make the frosting.

10. Frost the cupcakes. Warm some jam in a small bowl and transfer to a zip lock plastic bag. Cut a small hole out of the corner of the bag and drizzle the jam onto the middle of each cupcake and around to look like droplets. Secure the dagger in the centre.