Halloween Cupcakes: a fun dessert to create scary, delicious monsters
This Halloween, serve up some spooky Halloween cupcakes for your bash. Halloween cupcakes aren't just festive, they're delicious, too. They're fluffy and moist on the inside, with a rich chocolate flavor, and decorated with creamy frosting.
The best part is you can decorate your Halloween cupcakes however you like! Make ghoulish pumpkins, creepy mummies, scary Frankensteins, or spooky ghosts – it's a great excuse to get creative. Halloween cupcakes are a great finger food dessert that your guests will love – don't be surprised when they disappear!
Halloween Cupcake Ingredients
To make the best Halloween cupcakes, you'll need several ingredients, but fortunately, you probably already have most of them in your kitchen!
For the batter, you'll need flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Baking soda leavens the cupcakes to give them their ultra-fluffy texture.
To make the cupcakes tender and moist, you'll need butter, oil, eggs, milk, egg yolks, and sour cream. The extra egg yolks make these cupcakes richer and more decadent.
Dark chocolate and vanilla flavor the cupcakes, while sugar makes them perfectly sweet.
You'll also need some frosting and food coloring to decorate the cupcakes and turn them into stunning spooky treats.
How to Make Halloween Cupcakes
Making homemade Halloween cupcakes from scratch is a fun, festive project for your next Halloween party. We'll break it down step-by-step.
How to Make the Cupcake Batter
To make the best Halloween cupcakes, start by beating the oil, sugar, and butter until it turns creamy. Melt the chocolate. Beat the melted chocolate and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the egg yolks. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
In a second bowl, whisk the sour cream, milk, and water. Alternating between the two, add the milk mixture and flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Make sure you don't overmix the batter! This will cause your cupcakes to be dense instead of fluffy.
Baking the Cupcakes
Line two muffin trays with cupcake liners. Fill the liners with batter to about 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes at 350F for 11 to 13 minutes, depending on your oven. They're done when they're springy to touch. Don't take them out too early otherwise, they won't be cooked through. Remove the trays from the oven, then let the cupcakes cool before decorating.
Making the Frosting
Divvy up the frosting between five bowls. Put your desired colors of food coloring into the bowls and mix well to combine. Put the frosting into individual piping bags.
Decorating Halloween Cupcakes
Now for the fun part – decorating! You can decorate your Halloween cupcakes however you like, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
To make Frankenstein cupcakes, smear green frosting over the top of a cupcake. Draw black frosting over the green to make hair and mouth, then garnish with candy eyes.
For mummy cupcakes, frost the cupcakes in crisscrossed strips, allowing some of the cupcake to peek through the frosting. Garnish with candy eyes.
To make pumpkin cupcakes, spread orange frosting on the cupcake. Use the black frosting to make eyes and mouth to make a jack-o-lantern's face. Add green frosting to make a stem.
Other designs to try out include black cats, witches, skeletons, ghosts, vampires, and bats.
Can You Decorate Halloween Cupcakes with Edible Fake Blood?
If you really want to creep out your guests, try decorating your Halloween cupcakes with edible fake blood. It's perfect for vampire cupcakes! Just mix a tablespoon of corn syrup or golden syrup with 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of water, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of red gel food dye. Mix well and start decorating.
Tips for Making the Best Halloween Cupcakes
Use a boxed cake mix to save time.
Don't overmix your cupcake batter.
Your cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and mostly crumb-free.
Use homemade or store-bought frosting.
You can make gluten-free Halloween cupcakes by using gluten-free flour.
How to Store Halloween Cupcakes
Halloween cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Can You Freeze Halloween Cupcakes?
You can freeze undecorated Halloween cupcakes for up to 3 months. For best results, decorate the cupcakes before serving. When you're ready to enjoy your cupcakes, let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two muffin trays with cupcake liners.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two muffin trays with cupcake liners.
Beat oil, sugar, and butter until creamy.
Beat oil, sugar, and butter until creamy.
Heat chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring occasionally. Beat the melted chocolate into the butter mixture.
Heat chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring occasionally. Beat the melted chocolate into the butter mixture.
Pour in the vanilla extract.
Pour in the vanilla extract.
Beat the eggs in one at a time. Beat in the yolks one at a time.
Beat the eggs in one at a time. Beat in the yolks one at a time.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. In a second bowl, combine sour cream, milk, and water. Alternating between the two, add the milk mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. In a second bowl, combine sour cream, milk, and water. Alternating between the two, add the milk mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
Continue alternating it with the flour mixture.
Continue alternating it with the flour mixture.
Mix.
Mix.
Fill the liners with batter so they're 2/3 full. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
Fill the liners with batter so they're 2/3 full. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
Remove the trays from the oven and leave them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then take the cupcakes out and arrange them on a rack to cool to room temperature.
Remove the trays from the oven and leave them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then take the cupcakes out and arrange them on a rack to cool to room temperature.
Divide the frosting into five bowls. Add desired food coloring to the bowls, then transfer the frosting to individual piping bags. For mummy cupcakes, frost the cupcakes in crisscrossed strips, allowing some of the cupcake to peek through the frosting. Garnish with candy eyes.
Divide the frosting into five bowls. Add desired food coloring to the bowls, then transfer the frosting to individual piping bags. For mummy cupcakes, frost the cupcakes in crisscrossed strips, allowing some of the cupcake to peek through the frosting. Garnish with candy eyes.
For Frankenstein cupcakes, spread green frosting over the cupcakes.
For Frankenstein cupcakes, spread green frosting over the cupcakes.
Add chocolate sprinkles for the hair, then garnish with candy eyes.
Add chocolate sprinkles for the hair, then garnish with candy eyes.
Add black frosting for the mouth, nose and scars.
Add black frosting for the mouth, nose and scars.
For pumpkin cupcakes, spread orange frosting over the cupcakes.
For pumpkin cupcakes, spread orange frosting over the cupcakes.
Add green frosting to make a stem.
Add green frosting to make a stem.
Use the black frosting to make eyes and mouth so they resemble a jack-o-lantern.
Use the black frosting to make eyes and mouth so they resemble a jack-o-lantern.
Go on decorating your Halloween cupcakes with other monsters or typical items such as vampires, eyeballs, skeletons. Let them set, then serve and enjoy!
Go on decorating your Halloween cupcakes with other monsters or typical items such as vampires, eyeballs, skeletons. Let them set, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Use room-temperature ingredients to make your cupcakes. The batter will come together easier and ensure your cupcakes are exceptionally fluffy and moist.
