Monster Cupcakes

1. Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Fill a regular sized cupcake tin with plain white cupcake liners, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add in all of the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
5. Pour the vanilla into the hot water.
6. Add the oil, milk, and eggs and water/vanilla mixture to the dry ingredients.
7. Mix until everything is combined.
8. Use a measuring cup or spoon to scoop batter into each of the lined cupcake cavities. Only fill each cavity approx. ½ - ⅔ the way full.
9. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Check to see if they are cooked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into one of the cupcakes, if the toothpick pulls out without any raw batter (a few crumbs are OK) then the cakes are done.
10. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
11. While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the spiced vanilla frosting.

Spiced Vanilla Frosting

1. Get out and measure all of your ingredients
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy.
3. While the butter is whipping, add the pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt to the extremely hot water. Let this sit for 2-3 minutes.
4. When butter has been whipped, add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed.
5. While it is mixing, stream in the water mixture.
6. Once combined, mix in the remaining powdered sugar.
7. Whip until all is combined and light and fluffy.
8. Add green food coloring and blend until incorporated. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Or you can use a resealable bag and snip off one of the bottom corners.
9. If the frosting is too soft to pipe, put in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool down.
10. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
11. Pipe a circle around the top of the cupcake, fill the middle of the circle. Pipe a second circle on top of the first, and fill the middle again. This will give you a bit of a cylindrical shape on top of the cupcakes.
12. Pour ½ cup of chocolate sprinkles into a small dish, turn each cupcake upside down.
13. Dip the cupcakes into the sprinkles gently pressing down until the frosting has flattened just a tiny bit.
14. You are trying to give your little mini Frankenstein or Frankie a flat top head while leaving enough space for his bolts (ears) and eyes.
15. Add candy eyes to each Frankie.
16. Break off the ends of a large pretzel rod, about an inch on both ends, then stick the broken ends into the “neck” of the frosting (see pictures). Do this for each cupcake.
17. Set finished cupcakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting set up or until ready to serve.
18. Enjoy every bite!