Monster Cupcakes!

I made these for ET's 4th Birthday celebration. We had a monster theme party, see here... monster party theme link.
I made these with the chocolate chip cupcake recipe that I have truly fallen in love with, and frosted them with a classic vanilla buttercream. I used the Wilton #4 tip to make the monster hair and just squeezed it out in a random way. It was not hard at all. The eyes are made with a white Wilton candy melt, and a chocolate chip (attached with frosting). The mouth is a Trolli brand caterpillar. I borrowed the feet liners from my friend C (thank you)! I do not recommend using these if you need to travel somewhere with the cupcakes because they become so incredibly top-heavy and very tippy once all the frosting is added. With the liners, they add that extra something special, but they would still be adorable with traditional liners.

Cupcake recipe from My Baking Addiction

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream (I used Lite)
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting recipe from Annie's Eats

20 tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.