GoT: Red Witch Velvet Fire Cupcakes

Oh, Melisandre... are you a villain or not? I don't think you are. But I do think you've done some very bad things thinking you were doing the right thing. I mean, nobody is perfect but... most people haven't made the mistake of burning an innocent child at the stake. That's a pretty big mistake. 

Maybe the Lord of Light will tell me in the flames of a batch of fire cupcakes. 

If you also want some insight from the Lord of Light, first make a batch of red velvet cupcakes and chocolate frosting. Add in some mini chocolate chips into the frosting to give it some texture. Frost your cupcakes, but don't make it smooth. 

Then to make the flames, the most important part, sort out the red, orange, and yellow candies from some Life Savers 5 Flavors Hard Candy. (Really any red, orange, and yellow hard candies would work)

Unwrap the candies, throw them into a bag, and crush them with a meat tenderizer. 

Throw the crushed candy pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

And put in a 350 degree oven until it completely melts and is smooth. 

Once cooled and completely hardened, snap until little flame pieces. 

Then stab some flames into your frosted cupcakes and stick some broken up pretzel rods around the flames. 

And there you go! Your very own fire to see your very own visions in. If you see an onslaught of the undead let me know. Actually, don't let me know. No, do let me know. Or not. I don't know.

RED VELVET CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS makes 24 cupcakes
113 grams (½  cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
297 grams (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
~1 tsp gel red food coloring
2 large eggs
336 grams (3 cups) cake flour
12 grams (2 tbs) cocoa powder
5 grams (1 tsp) baking soda
5 grams (1 tsp) baking powder
2 grams (1/4 tsp) salt
240 grams (1 cup) whole buttermilk
15 grams (1 tsp) vanilla extract
10 grams (2 tsp) vinegar

CHOCOLATE FROSTING INGREDIENTS
226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
360 grams (3 cups) powdered sugar
41 grams (½ cup) cocoa powder
4 grams (½ tsp) salt
10 grams (2 tsp) vanilla extract
45 grams (3 tbs) whole milk
90 grams (1/2 cup) mini chocolate chips

DECORATION INGREDIENTS
~246 grams yellow, orange and red hard candies, taking all the yellow, orange and red candies from a 13 ounce bag of Life Savers 5 Flavors Hard Candy should be enough
pretzel sticks

RED VELVET CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a cupcake pan with liners. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and red gel food coloring together.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium speed until incorporated. 
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
5. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and vanilla extract.
6. Alternating, add dry ingredients and then buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture in two batches each. In the last batch of buttermilk, mix in the vinegar before adding to the batter. Mix just until combined.
7. Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter for a few minutes on medium speed until light and creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Turn mixer off and add dry ingredients in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until combined in between each batch.
4. Add vanilla extract and milk and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. 
5. Add mini chocolate chips and continue to mix until evenly throughout.

FIRE DECORATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place unwrapped yellow, orange and red hard candies in a gallon size plastic bag. Crush with meat tenderizer or hammer.
3. Once crushed, spread the out onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until melted smooth. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't brown.
4. Once melted, remove from oven and cool.
5. Once completely cooled, snap pieces into small flames.

DECORATING
Note: I recommend decorating, or at least adding the pretzel pieces, right before serving so the pretzels aren't soft.

1. Pipe on chocolate frosting and use a small spatula to smooth out a little (leave it a little rough looking).
2. Take flame pieces and stick into top of cupcakes so it looks like a fire. 
3. Break up pretzel sticks into little pieces and stick around flames.

Flames adapted from Willowday Campfire Cupcakes.