Vanilli - A Zombie Ate My Cupcake: 25 delicious weird cupcake recipes

For these larger, shallower cupcakes, I used extra-wide cupcake cases that hold their own shape so can just be placed on a baking sheet to bake. Alternatively, use individual metal pie dishes, with a diameter of about 3 12 inches (9cm). You could produce mini versions on regular-sized cupcakes, but the hand looks more realistic and dramatic if it is life size, and this design is even more impressive as a larger version on a chocolate layer cake.

• one batch of extra-wide
• one batch of
• 12 cup (50g) cocoa powder
• 5 12oz (150g) marzipan
• water and confectioners (icing) sugar, or edible glue
• flaked almonds (one per finger)
• piping gel

1. Cover the top of the cupcakes with chocolate frosting, then dust with a thick layer of cocoa powder soiluse a shaker or just spoon onto the top of the cake.

2. Roll out the marzipan to the size and shape of your fingersI used my own hand as a guide and then slightly elongated and narrowed them to make them look more like zombies fingers. Insert a toothpick into each finger as far as you need to in order to make it stand upright and hold the shape you want (I made mine into a semi-claw).

3. Using water thickened with a little sugar (a few drops of water to 2 teaspoons of sugar), or edible glue (see ), stick an almond flake fingernail to the end of each finger. Secure each finger into the top of the cake with a skewer. You can also brush the fingers with some piping gel to make them glossy and creepy.

Create these ghost cupcakes using a marshmellow and a thick meringue frosting that holds its shape but remains soft. Once youve mastered these cupcake versions, why not try making a huge one on a full-size cake?

• one batch of
• 15 white marshmallows (one per cupcake)
• black fondant or chocolate chips

For the meringue frosting:

• 4 extra-large (US) or large (UK) egg whites
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 14 teaspoon cream of tartar
• pinch of salt

1. You will need a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl that will sit neatly on top of it (or use a double boiler, if you have one). Pour a few cups of water into the pan and bring to the boil. The water should not touch the base of the bowl.

2. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl using an electric mixer, then place the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and all the sugar has dissolvedabout 12 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and, using the mixer on medium-high speed, beat until the eggs form a cool stiff meringueabout 5 minutes or until hard peaks have formed.

4. Secure a marshmallow vertically in the center of a cake using a tiny dab of the meringue, and use a spoon to heap frosting on top of each cupcake to make a ghost shape you like. Smooth the edges with the back of the spoon.

5. Use black fondant or chocolate chips to create eyes with a suitably menacing expression.

Ideally, always decorate your cakes with ingredients that complement their flavor. These cream-cheese frosted red velvet cupcakes are topped with blood made from pulped black cherries and dotted with pomegranate seeds or redcurrants.

• one batch of red velvet cupcakes, see
• handful of pomegranate seeds

For the cream-cheese frosting:

• 2 tablespoons (25g) butter, at room temperature
• 12 cup (125g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 12 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 14 cup (125g) confectioners (icing) sugar

For the cherry sauce:

• 1 cup (125g) black cherries, very ripe and de-stoned or canned
• 14 cup (50g) superfine (caster) sugar
• 12 cup (120ml) water or juice from the canned cherries, if using
• 12 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour) or arrowroot

1. To make the frosting, beat the softened butter in a small bowl. Add the cream cheese and blend together until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and gradually beat in the sugar until you have a fairly thick, spreadable consistency. Ice the cupcakes using the back of a dessertspoon and give them a smooth finish.

2. To make the cherry sauce, blend the cherries in a bowl using an electric hand blender, then place in a medium-sized heavy-based pan with the sugar, water, lime juice, and cornstarch or arrowroot. Heat on medium until the cherries begin to release their liquid, and then slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer and heat until the cherry mixture has thickened to the desired consistency (runny enough to pipe but thick enough to prevent bleeding into the frosting). Allow to cool.

3. Fit a piping bag with a number 67 tip, then pour in the cherry pulp mixture. Insert the tip gently into the frosting to make bite marks, and then spill the blood out over each cake. Dot the finished cakes with pomegranate seeds.

RIP, sweet little cupcakes... Create your own creepy cupcake graveyardthe tombstones are made of gingerbread cookies, surrounded by cocoa soil.

• one batch of
• one batch of
• cocoa (for soil)
• ready-made small white fondant flowers

For the gingerbread:

• 3 cups (450g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 12 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 14 teaspoon salt
• 12 cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 12 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 23 cup (160ml) unsulfured molasses or black treacle
• 1 extra-large (US) or large (UK) egg
• zest of 12 lemon, finely grated
• white icing pen

1. To make the gingerbread, sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and lemon zest gradually, and beat until incorporated.

3. Divide the dough into two pieces. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

5. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of around 14 inch (5mm). Use a cookie cutter to cut out the tombstone shapes, or cut them out freehand with a knife or cut around objects of the right shape and size. (You can make really effective cookie cutters using sheets of aluminumusing scissors, cut long strips with very straight edges from an aluminum tray, fold to a double thickness, and shape however you like, bending them around things to help you get a clean shape. Staple the ends together and you have a bespoke cookie cutter!)