Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour, sifted (180 g)
  • 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar (300 g)
  • ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Dutch Process (75 g)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda (5 g)
  • ½ teaspoon Baking powder (2.5 g)
  • 1 teaspoon Fine sea salt (5 g)
  • 2 Large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup Buttermilk, room temperature (120 ml)
  • ¼ cup Vegetable oil (60 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract (5 ml)
  • ½ cup Hot, strong black coffee (120 ml)
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened (225 g)
  • 3–4 cups Powdered sugar, sifted (360–480 g)
  • 2–3 tablespoons Heavy cream or whole milk (30–45 ml)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract (7.5 ml)
  • Pinch of salt (for frosting)
  • 24 Candy Eyeballs

Instructions:

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Combine Wet Ingredients (Phase 1): In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until just combined.
  4. Mix Batter: Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Add Coffee: Carefully pour the hot coffee into the batter while mixing slowly until smooth. The batter will be thin; this is correct.
  6. Bake: Fill the prepared liners about two-thirds full. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with only moist crumbs.
  7. Cool Completely: Transfer the cupcakes immediately to a wire rack. They must be completely cold before frosting.
  8. Cream Butter: For the buttercream, beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth and pale (about 3 minutes).
  9. Add Sugar: Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, alternating with splashes of cream/milk and the 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until the icing is light, fluffy, and thick enough to hold its shape.
  10. Prepare Piping Bag: Load the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a small open star tip (e.g., Wilton #16) or a flat basket-weave tip (e.g., Wilton #46).
  11. Apply Base Coat: Spread a thin, smooth layer of buttercream over the top of each cooled cupcake to serve as a foundation.
  12. Position Eyes: Gently press two candy eyeballs onto the middle-upper section of the cupcake.
  13. Pipe Bandages: Starting at the bottom edge, pipe short, messy, overlapping horizontal strips of buttercream across the cupcake, working your way up. Pipe a couple of strips over the top of the eyes to complete the wrapped look.
  14. Serve: Place on a festive platter and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.