Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 (16 ounce) can white frosting
  • Sugar Glass:
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 3 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Edible Blood:
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water, or more as needed
  • 15 drops red food coloring
  • 3 drops blue food coloring

Method

  • Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2, 12-cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners.
  • Blend cake mix, 1 cup water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Divide cake batter between lined cupcake tins.
  • Bake cupcakes in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely. Frost cupcakes with white frosting.
  • Make the sugar glass. Mix 2 cups water, 1 cup corn syrup, white sugar, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Use a candy thermometer and boil sugar syrup until temperature reaches 300 degrees (hard ball), stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken as water evaporates. When sugar reaches 300 degrees, quickly pour onto a metal baking pan. Cool until completely hardened. Break into "shards" using a meat mallet.
  • Make the edible blood. Mix together 1/2 cup corn syrup and cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the 1/4 cup of water, adding more if necessary, until the corn syrup mixture has thickened to the consistency of blood. Stir in the red and blue food coloring.
  • Stab each frosted cupcake with a few shards of broken sugar glass. Drizzle on drops of "blood" to complete the effect.