Big Bad Wolf Claw Cupcakes (Anisette Cupcakes with Strawberry Jam)
Anisette cupcakes filled with strawberry jam that are decorated to look like bloody wolf claw marks. The decor is easy to make using a simple sugar icing (no fondant!), toothpicks, and strawberry jam. Perfect for Halloween, or leave "un-clawed" for another celebration.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
ANISETTE CUPCAKES INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp anise extract
- 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
WOLF CLAW FILLING AND DECORATION INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp anise extract
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups seedless strawberry jam
- 1-2 drops red gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
ANISETTE CUPCAKE PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a 12-cavity cupcake tin with cupcake liners of your choice. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
ANISETTE CUPCAKE BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and anise extract until combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients, beating well in between additions and scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to divide the cupcake batter equally between the lined cupcake cavities.
- Bake anisette cupcakes at 350F for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove anisette cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling and decorating.
BIG BAD WOLF CLAW CUPCAKE FILLING INSTRUCTIONS
- If using food coloring, add the drops to the strawberry jam and stir until combined.
- When cupcakes are completely cool: use a cupcake corer (or a thin knife) to cut out the very center of a cupcake. Place the core aside for a moment, then fill the hole most of the way (but not completely!) with jam using a pastry bag or a spoon.
- Cut most of the core off so only the smooth top is left. Pop the core top back into the cupcake so it covers the jam filling. Press the core top lightly into the cupcake so the surface of the cupcake is as smooth and even as possible. Repeat coring-filling-topping process with each cupcake.
BIG BAD WOLF CLAW CUPCAKE DECORATING INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, anise extract, and two tablespoons milk. You want the icing to be extremely thick and NOT pourable -- almost like melted marshmallow. Add the third tablespoon of milk in small increments to the bowl, whisking as you go, until you get the desired consistency. Set aside.
- Place a half-tablespoon of icing on a cupcake and smooth gently over the surface with a spoon or spatula until smooth. Repeat process with each cupcake. Place the iced cupcakes in the fridge for at least an hour to let the icing harden.
- Take one iced cupcake and use the larger end of a toothpick to draw a gash down the center of the icing. You want the gash to be pretty deep, but not deep enough that you cut into the cake underneath.
- Draw a few more lines around the center gash to make claw marks. Leave the gashes ragged – don’t try to clean them up!
- Take a fresh toothpick and dip it into the strawberry jam. Drag the jammy toothpick through the gashes to create a bloody look in each claw mark. Again, it’s okay if it’s a little messy. Repeat bloody claw process with remaining cupcakes.
- Serve Big Bad Wolf Cupcakes at room temperature, but store uneaten cupcakes in the fridge.