Green-faced, straggly-haired witches may look mean, but they are actually sweet chocolate cupcakes dressed up for Halloween. Inverted chocolate ice-cream cones make perfectly pointed hats. Bake a coven’s worth and set them out on display to greet—and treat—Halloween party guests.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24

　　24 One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes (page 152) or Devil’s Food Cupcakes (page 34)

　　Swiss Meringue Buttercream (page 304)

　　Green gel-paste food color

　　24 chocolate sugar cones

　　24 candy corn pieces

　　48 brown mini candy-coated chocolates, such as mini M&M’s

　　1 small bag (about 5 ounces) black licorice laces

　　

Step 1

Tint buttercream green with gel-paste food color. Spoon a generous mound of buttercream onto each cupcake; using an offset spatula, smooth into a dome shape. (Or use an ice-cream scoop to place a mound of buttercream atop each cupcake.)

　　

Step 2

Place an inverted sugar cone on top of each cupcake, tilting cones slightly backward. Press two candy-coated chocolates and one piece of candy corn into buttercream to make the eyes and nose.

　　

Step 3

With a paring knife or kitchen shears, snip licorice laces into pieces—longer ones (about 2 1/2 inches) for hair, and shorter (about 1/2 inch) for eyebrows and bangs. Insert longer licorice pieces into frosting, just below the sugar cones, to make hair, and press two short licorice pieces over eyes, slanting them slightly to make eyebrows. Decorated cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature.

　　Martha Stewart's Cupcakes