This post shares step-by-step decorating instructions so you can make this to serve at your Halloween party!

This post is geared specifically toward intermediate and advanced bakers. It doesn’t cover how to bake the cake or how to achieve a smooth base coat of frosting. If you need help with those topics, I strongly recommend taking some online classes or with Lia directly (if you happen to be in St. Louis).

As I mentioned above, I flavor this recipe like black licorice to go along with the candy theme of the decorations. It’s a unique flavor profile that will make these treats extra special.

Black licorice is a love it or hate it kind of flavor. But, I’ve found that even those who don’t love black licorice enjoy these cupcakes. The flavor isn’t as poignant as it is in the candy.

Why?

Last year, Jonathan and I went to Gilroy, California. Gilroy is all about garlic. Each year, they host the Gilroy Garlic Festival – which features, as you might imagine, everything garlic! While we weren’t able to make it to the festival, we were able to try some garlic ice cream. It was shockingly tasty and the only ice cream that I’ve ever eaten that left me with bad breath.

When I was talking about the trip to Groom 1.0, he suggested that I make garlic cupcakes for Halloween to scare off the vampires. I loved the idea! I sent myself a futureme email as a reminder. It’s a good thing that I did. I completely forgot about the idea until I received the email a few weeks ago.