It’s here–it’s officially Halloween! Today’s cupcakes, last in my Halloween series, are so rich in flavor that it has to be a sin.

So what makes them so decadent? Well, for starters, there’s the chocolate cupcake. Followed by a chocolate frosting. Completed with bittersweet chocolate shards. It’s chocolate on top of chocolate on top of chocolate.

The Dracula part? They’re filled with a gooey raspberry filling that just looks like something the OG vampire would serve you.

What You Need
Chocolate Shards

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cups cocoa
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon espresso coffee

Raspberry Filling

• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Frosting

• 1/2 salted butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar

How You Do It
Chocolate Shards

1. Melt chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until smooth.
2. On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spread chocolate in a thin layer. Put in freezer until ready to use.

Cupcake Batter

1. Preheat over to 350 F and line cupcake tin. Brew coffee and set aside to cool.
2. Combine sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
3. Add in dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. When combined, add in the cocoa.
5. Pour in the oil and coffee and blend just until combined, careful not to overmix.
6. Pour batter into cupcake tin, filling each liner 2/3 full. Bake 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

1. Combine the butter, milk, and vanilla, and cocoa.
2. Going a half a cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar.

Filling

1. Combine the powdered sugar and raspberry jam until no lumps remain.
2. Core the center of each cupcake, careful not to go all the way down to the bottom. Keep the tops.
3. Fill with the raspberry filling and place the tops back on.

Decorating

1. Remove the cookie sheet from the fridge. Lift chocolate and break into desired size.
2. Using tip of choice, pipe the cupcakes with the frosting.
3. Carefully, press 3-4 shards of chocolate into the frosting. If your hands are too warm, the chocolate will begin to soften and bend. If that happens, return shards to freezer for 2-3 minutes.

Look how scrumptious!

And the raspberry filling? Truly worthy of Dracula himself.

And the chocolate decorations make them look extra fancy.

I hope you have a wonderful Halloween! Eat at much chocolate as you can stomach, watch scary movies until you scream, and may the spirits look kindly upon you today. Until next time,

-Danielle