80s Movie Night Cupcakes
Do you take sugar? One cupcake or two? The best movies are ’80s movies, and these movie night cupcakes are the perfect snack for ’80s movie marathons. Whether you are a Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Goonies or Top Gun fan, these cupcakes will sometime, anytime sugar you sweet. They are made with red velvet cake swirled with chocolate cream cheese frosting and piled high with your favorite movie theater candies. Choose your favorite hot, sticky sweets to pour some sugar on these cupcakes. All I know is, I can’t get enough.
Song: Def Leppard—Pour Some Sugar on Me (1987)
Yields12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting- 3/4 cup (170 g/ 11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (25 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional Ingredients- Assorted movie theater candies
INSTRUCTIONS:
Red Velvet Cupcakes
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to mix the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, white vinegar and red gel food coloring until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture to the red mixture and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Slowly pour in the buttermilk while mixing on low speed. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until the red velvet batter is smooth.
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Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, or until their tops spring back when gently touched. Remove them from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light, fluffy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar, dark cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until all the ingredients are well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On low speed, drizzle in the heavy cream. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the frosting for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
Assembling the Cupcakes
Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 826 piping tip with the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Pipe a “double swirl” of frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate with your favorite movie theater candies.
