Bloody Red Velvet Cupcakes (The Spooky 35-Minute Halloween Cupcakes)

1. Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with Halloween paper liners.
2. Whisk the dry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix the wet. In a second bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, buttermilk, red gel coloring, vanilla, and vinegar until smooth and vividly red.
4. Combine. Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until combined — a few small lumps are fine. Don’t overmix.
5. Bake. Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan, then on a rack.
6. Frost and bleed. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes. Warm the raspberry jam 10–15 seconds in the microwave until pourable, then spoon it over the tops and let it drip down the sides like blood.

Tips & Variations

• Gel beats liquid: Red gel coloring gives that deep horror-red without thinning the batter.
• Room-temperature dairy is the secret to lump-free frosting — cold cream cheese makes the frosting lumpy.
• The bloody drip: Warm the jam just enough to pour; spoon it near the edge of the frosting and let gravity do the spooky work.
• Make ahead: Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days early and store airtight at room temperature. Frost and “bleed” the day you serve them.