First you need to make both batches of cupcakes. I used my classic vegan birthday cake recipe for these, which you can get by clicking here. For the chocolate cupcakes, follow the directions for the cake recipe, and divide the batter into 24 black baking cups. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. For the vanilla cupcakes, follow the same recipe, but omit the cocoa powder and increase the flour by ½ C. Divide into 24 white baking cups and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Allow both batches of cupcakes to cool before frosting.
To make the frosting for the vanilla cupcakes (Christmas lights): Follow instructions for this vegan vanilla buttercream by clicking here, but omit the blue dye. Once you have your vanilla buttercream frosting made, ice all 24 vanilla cupcakes, reserving at least 1 C of frosting for the black icing. To make black icing, in a small bowl, mix frosting with charcoal powder until you receive the desired tone (approximate ratio is 1 C frosting to 1 tablespoon charcoal powder). Load standard piping bag with black frosting and pipe letters and Christmas lights string onto cupcakes. Use skittles as Christmas light bulbs.
To make frosting for the chocolate cupcakes (the upside down): Follow instructions for this vegan vanilla buttercream by clicking here, but do not add the blue dye in the whole batch. Divide buttercream frosting between 3 bowls. Make the first bowl black frosting by adding charcoal powder until you reach desired tone. Make the second bowl gray frosting by adding a little less charcoal powder until you reach desired tone. Make the third bowl blue icing by using McCormick plant-based blue powder, until you reach desired tone. Load up your 3 color piping bag and make sure you watch the video in post to do this correctly. Ice all 24 chocolate cupcakes. If you have some black frosting left over, you can add little black squiggle lines for "mind flayer" touches.