Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with red or Halloween-themed paper cases.2. Make the cupcakes:
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Fold in the flour and add enough milk to loosen the batter slightly.
3. Add cherries:
Spoon half the batter into each case. Place one Opies Cocktail Cherry in the centre of each, then top with the remaining batter.
4. Bake:
Bake for 18–20 minutes or until golden and springy. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Core and fill:
Once cooled, use a knife or cupcake corer to remove the centre of each cupcake. Fill with Opies Summer Berry Compote, then replace the sponge tops.
6. Make the buttercream:
Beat the butter until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and vanilla. Add milk if needed for a smooth consistency. Tint with red food colouring for a bold Pennywise red.
7. Decorate:
Pipe or spread the red buttercream onto each cupcake. Top with an Opies Cocktail Cherry to represent Pennywise’s red balloon. Drizzle with red icing or extra compote for a gory finish
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 125g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2–3 tbsp milk
• 12 Opies Cocktail Cherries (plus extra for decoration)
• 4–5 tbsp Opies Summer Berry Compote (for filling)
For the buttercream:
• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 tbsp milk
• Red food colouring gel
To decorate:
• Extra Opies Cocktail Cherries
• Red icing or gel for “drips”
• Optional: red paper cupcake cases or creepy toppers
