Ingredients
½cupmilk
1tbspwhite vinegar
½cupbutterunsalted, at room temperature
10tbspwhite sugar
2tspvanilla sugar
2largeeggs
¾cupall-purpose flour
1tbspall-purpose flour
½cupcocoa powderunsweetened
½tspbaking powder
¼tspbaking soda
1pinchsalt
8ozcream cheesesoftened
¼cupbutterunsalted, at room temperature
1tspvanilla extract
1cupconfectioners’ sugarsifted
2dropsorange food coloring
48smallcandy eyeballs
2pcsdried mango
Preparation
Combine milk and vinegar in a bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until milk curdles.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
Combine ½ cup butter, white sugar, and vanilla sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and curdled milk to the creamed butter mixture, mixing until batter is well blended.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each ¾ full.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 14 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of 1 cupcake comes back clean.
Cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for about 1 hour.
Combine cream cheese and 1 ¼ cup butter in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in confectioners’ sugar gradually. Color frosting orange with a few drops of food coloring.
Place orange frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a grass tip. Hold the pastry bag at a 90-degree angle ⅛ inch above the surface of a cupcake. Squeeze bag to form orange ‘fur’ by pulling tip up and away when the icing strand is about ½ inch high. Repeat to cover cupcake evenly with fur.
Add 2 eyes to each cupcake. Cut dried mango into small strips and arrange into the frosting as ‘horns’.
Serve to guests and enjoy!
