If you’re lucky enough to find black licorice in your Halloween treat bag, don’t eat it all – save some to top these black licorice cupcakes.  These mini cupcakes are flavored like the candy (using anise extract and blackstrap molasses) and are frosted with an orange anise buttercream.  The cupcakes have a clear licorice taste, but it is not overpowering.  Even those who don’t typically enjoy black licorice candy may return to the table to grab seconds.

Yield: 48 mini cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 teaspoons anise extract
½ cup whole milk

Frosting Ingredients:
¾ cup butter
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons anise extract
¾ teaspoon orange extract
Black licorice for topping cupcakes, optional

Cupcake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add sugar, corn syrup, molasses, and butter and mix until fully combined.
In a small bowl, mix eggs, oil, sweetened condensed milk, and anise extract.
Add contents of small bowl to the medium-sized bowl and mix until just combined.
Add milk and mix until just combined.
Fill mini cupcake liners almost all the way to the top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
 
Frosting Directions:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for three minutes until light and fluffy.
Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
Mix in extracts.
Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.
Optionally top cupcakes with black licorice pieces.

Note:  If you prefer full-sized cupcakes, simply fill 24 full-sized liners and increase the baking time to 30 minutes.