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Halloween Cupcakes
5 from 78 votes

Halloween Cupcakes

These Halloween Cupcakes are moist chocolate cupcakes flavored with strong coffee and cocoa powder, topped with buttercream frosting colored for festive decoration. The recipe includes detailed instructions for baking, making smooth buttercream, and piping multiple colors for Halloween-themed designs featuring M&M candies and melted chocolate details.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 24
Calories: 150 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Halloween Cupcakes:
INGREDIENTS
For the Cupcakes:
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 120g
  • 1 cup buttermilk 240mL
  • 3 egg
  • 1 1/2 cup coffee 360mL strong, use a mocha pot so it's basically espresso, hot
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil 180mL
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract 15mL
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour 360g
  • 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar 535g
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder 65g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
  • 1 tbsp baking soda 18g
  • 1 tsp kosher salt 5g
For the Buttercream:
  • 3 tsp vanilla 15mL
  • 1 lb confectioners sugar 450g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 250g, room temperature
  • 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream 45mL
  • green food coloring
  • Food Coloring orange
  • black gel food coloring
For the Assembly:
  • M&M's regular and peanut, brown color
  • 3/4 cup chocolate melted

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cupcakes:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
  2. Add papers to a cupcake pan.
  3. Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk until combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and whisk together.
  5. Add wet to dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl.
  6. Whisk to combine, then mix on level 2 for two minutes.
  7. Distribute batter into cupcake papers. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Allow time to cool fully.
For the Buttercream:
  1. Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment on the stand mixer.
  2. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
  3. Add cream and vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.
For the Assembly:
For the Piping Bags:
  1. Prepare 3 piping bags fitted with large round tips. Add green, orange and white to separate bags. These will be used as the base colors.
  2. Add black food gel to melted chocolate, transfer to a piping bag. Snip off the tip. This will be used for the base of the mummy and facial details for multiple cupcakes.
For the Mummy:
  1. Pipe a black base.
  2. Fit a piping bag with a 47 flat tip, add a small amount of white buttercream.
  3. Pipe lines to create a bandage look.
  4. Add candy eyes.
For the Spider:
  1. Pipe ‘L’ shaped legs onto parchment paper with the black gel bag. Transfer to the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes to set.
  2. Pipe a white base. Switch back to the black. Pipe a spiral.
  3. Drag a point tool or toothpick through the buttercream and chocolate layers, working from the inside out. This will create the web look.
  4. Add a brown peanut m&m for the body and a regular brown m&m for the head. Add chocolate legs.
For the Pumpkin:
  1. Pipe bands of orange, working from bottom to top to create a pumpkin look.
  2. Add a green stem on top of the pumpkin.
  3. Pipe black jack o lantern facial details.
For Frankenstein:
  1. Pipe a green base.
  2. Place candy eyes.
  3. Add black facial details.
For the Skull:
  1. Pipe a white base, then facial details with black frosting.

Notes

  • Whole milk yogurt can replace sour cream in the batter without noticeable difference.
  • Swiss or Italian buttercream are suitable alternatives to reduce frosting sweetness.
  • Candy eyes can be substituted with upside-down chocolate chips if needed.
  • Most decorations only require snipping piping bags; no special tips are necessary.
  • Spider decorations use peanut and regular M&Ms for body and head, with piped chocolate legs that set in the freezer.
  • Sanding sugar can be added for eyes by attaching granules with a small amount of buttercream or melted chocolate.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cupcake Calories 150kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 13mg (4%) Sodium 90mg (4%) Sugar 8g (16%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cupcake
Calories 150kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Sugar 8g 16%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 0.4mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.