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Easy Decorated Halloween Cupcakes Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 139 reviews
  • Author: Jasmine
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Celebrate Halloween with these easy and fun decorated Halloween cupcakes featuring four spooky designs: Green and Purple Monster Cupcakes, Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes, and Spider Cupcakes. Made with moist pumpkin cupcakes and topped with creamy vanilla buttercream dyed in vibrant Halloween colors, these cupcakes are perfect for parties and festive treats.

Ingredients

Scale

Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • 12 pumpkin cupcakes or your favorite cupcake recipe

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 6 cups (720g) confectioners’ sugar (sifted if lumpy)
  • 6 Tablespoons (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Salt, to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon recommended)

Monster Cupcakes Decoration

  • Gel food coloring: Leaf Green, Fuchsia, Violet, Super Black
  • 2 piping bags and 2 couplers
  • Piping tip: small open star tip (Wilton #21 recommended)
  • Small candy eyeballs
  • Large candy eyeballs
  • Optional: sprinkles

Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes Decoration

  • Gel food coloring: Orange, Leaf Green, Super Black
  • 3 piping bags
  • Piping tips: large petal tip (Wilton #125), small open star tip (Wilton #21), small round tip (Wilton #4)

Spider Cupcakes Decoration

  • Gel food coloring: Super Black
  • 1 piping bag
  • Piping tip: small round tip (Wilton #4)
  • Oreo Mini cookies
  • Mini candy eyeballs

Instructions

  1. Make the vanilla buttercream: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 5 and 1/2 cups (660g) confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste and add about 1/8 teaspoon salt if frosting is too sweet. To remove air bubbles, stir by hand with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon for 1–2 minutes.
  2. Adjust frosting consistency: If frosting is too thin, add up to 1/2 cup (60g) more confectioners’ sugar. If too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon (15ml) at a time, mixing and tasting between additions to reach desired consistency.
  3. Tint the frosting: Divide frosting into separate bowls for each color needed. Use gel food coloring to tint each bowl, stirring well. Keep one bowl white for spider cupcakes. Use combinations like Fuchsia + Violet to create custom shades. Add black gel coloring in tiny amounts if you want to tone down brightness.
  4. Green Monster Cupcakes: Fit a piping bag with a small open star tip (Wilton #21) and coupler. Fill with green frosting. Pipe a spiral from the outside inward on each cupcake. Place one large candy eyeball in the center, gently pressing it onto the frosting.
  5. Purple Monster Cupcakes: Using a similarly prepared piping bag with purple frosting and a small open star tip, pipe stars over the entire cupcake surface. Press small candy eyeballs into the frosting, then optionally add sprinkles.
  6. Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes: Fit separate piping bags with a large petal tip (#125) filled with orange frosting, a small open star tip (#21) filled with green frosting, and a small round tip (#4) filled with black frosting. Pipe rounded vertical lines with orange frosting to mimic pumpkin ridges, pipe stems with green, and pipe eyes, nose, and mouth with black to create jack-o’-lantern faces.
  7. Spider Cupcakes: Spread white frosting over cupcakes with a spatula. Using a piping bag with a small round tip filled with black frosting, pipe three criss-crossing straight lines to create six triangular sections forming a spider web. Add curved connecting lines between these sections. Place half a mini Oreo cookie on the web as the spider’s body. Pipe two small black dots for eyes and place two mini candy eyeballs on these dots. Pipe four black lines on each side of the Oreo to form spider legs.
  8. Storage: Store decorated cupcakes uncovered at room temperature for a few hours before serving. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days in a cupcake carrier. Decorate cupcakes the day of serving if possible to keep candy eyes from running.

Notes

  • Make Ahead: Cupcakes can be baked 1 day ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Decorate on the day of serving for best appearance.
  • Electric mixer (handheld or stand) helps make smooth buttercream.
  • Sift confectioners’ sugar if lumpy for best texture.
  • Use heavy cream for creamiest frosting; half-and-half or whole milk also work but may reduce creaminess.
  • Adjust buttercream quantity depending on how many designs you decorate; the full recipe yields about 4+ cups.
  • Use piping bags and tips as specified for each design to achieve detailed decoration.
  • Consider using a cupcake carrier for transporting decorated cupcakes safely.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 320 kcal
  • Sugar: 35 g
  • Sodium: 110 mg
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated Fat: 11 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 38 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 55 mg

Find it online: https://jmrecipes.com/easy-decorated-halloween-cupcakes-recipe/