Bloody Broken Glass Cupcakes

1 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12-cupcake tins with paper liners.

2 . Stage

Blend cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Divide cake batter between the prepared cupcake tins.

3 . Stage

Bake cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely. Frost cupcakes with white frosting.

4 . Stage

Make sugar glass: Mix water, corn syrup, white sugar, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Use a candy thermometer and boil sugar syrup, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), hard ball stage. Mixture will thicken as water evaporates. Once sugar reaches the desired temperature, quickly pour it onto a metal baking pan. Cool until completely hardened. Break into "shards" using a meat mallet.

5 . Stage

Make edible blood: Mix together corn syrup and cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly stir in water, adding more if necessary, until corn syrup mixture has thickened to the consistency of blood. Stir in red and blue food coloring.

6 . Stage

Stab each frosted cupcake with a few shards of broken sugar glass. Drizzle on drops of edible blood to complete the effect.