Wicked Cupcakes Inspired By Glinda And Elphaba

Brew 1 cup of strong coffee and let it cool completely before making the cupcake batter. Using cooled coffee prevents the heat from warming the eggs and sour cream when the batter is mixed.

Take the butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of time so it has time to warm to room temperature. This will make it much easier to beat with the mixer.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners so the pan is ready as soon as the batter is mixed.

Whisk the cake mix, cooled coffee, eggs and sour cream together in a large bowl just until no dry cake mix remains. Avoid continuing to mix once the batter is combined, since over mixing can make the cupcakes less tender.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin cups. Using an ice cream scoop or ¼-cup measure makes it easier to get an even amount in each cup.

Fill the tins about three-quarters full so the cupcakes stay fairly flat rather than developing large domes. This makes them easier to decorate.

Bake for 18 to 21 minutes.

Check the cupcakes near the end of the baking time by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the middle cupcakes.

They are done when the toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Leave the cupcakes in the muffin tin for 5 minutes so they can firm up slightly.

Then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting, since warm cupcakes will melt the icing.

Start the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling so it is ready once they reach room temperature.

Place the softened butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk and almond extract in a medium bowl.

Beat the frosting on low speed until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated. (This keeps the icing sugar from going everywhere).

Then increase the mixer to medium speed and continue beating for about 5 minutes.

The frosting should be noticeably lighter in color and have a smooth, fluffy consistency that will hold its shape when piped.

Divide the finished frosting as evenly as possible between two bowls.

Add a couple of drops of green food coloring to one bowl and a drop of red (or 2 drops of pink) food coloring to the other.

Using red coloring with the white frosting will make the icing turn pink, but you don’t want to use too much color or it could end up looking more red than you want it to. And it’s much easier to make the color darker (if you don’t use enough) than it is to make it lighter (if you put in too much).

Stir until the color is completely combined. Then add more color if it isn’t dark enough.

Twist each Oreo apart and keep the plain cookie half without the cream filling. (I won’t tell if you discard the frosting side by eating it.)

These cookie halves will form the brims of the witch hats.

Place a small dollop of green frosting in the center of each plain Oreo half.

Then press a dark chocolate kiss into it.

Use enough frosting to hold the kiss securely and create a colored band around the base.

To decorate the green cupcakes, fill a piping bag with green frosting and frost 4 cupcakes.

Begin at the outside edge and pipe toward the center, applying steady pressure with the heel of your hand so the frosting comes out evenly.

Don’t use all of the green frosting because you will need some to finish the last 4 cupcakes.

Squeeze any frosting that is left in the piping bag bag into the bowl.

Place one prepared witch hat on top of each of the 4 green-frosted cupcakes, pressing it in only enough to keep it from sliding.

Lay the strawberry Pocky sticks flat on a plate or paper towel.

Lightly spray or brush them with edible glitter.

Then leave them undisturbed while you frost the cupcakes so the glitter stays in place.

Pipe the pink frosting onto 4 more cupcakes using the same outside-to-center motion.

Again, don’t use all of the pink frosting since you will need some for the next cupcakes.

Squeeze any frosting that’s left in the piping bag back into the bowl with the rest of the pink frosting.

Add a glittered Pocky wand to each one and finish with the sprinkles.

For the final 4 cupcakes, we will create a swirled pink and green pattern with the frosting.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flat and spoon the remaining green and pink frostings in two parallel strips, side by side.

Roll the plastic wrap around them into a snug log, keeping the two colors next to each other rather than mixing them together.

Snip one end of the plastic-wrapped frosting log so both colors are exposed and can feed into the piping tip together.

Fit a clean piping bag with a large open star tip.

Slide the frosting log into the piping bag with the cut end pointing down toward the star tip.

Use the same motion from before to pipe the frosting onto the final 4 cupcakes.

The two colors should come through together to create a pink-and-green swirl.