These Bloody Glass Cupcakes may look creepy, but the taste of moist red velvet cupcakes and smooth vanilla buttercream is heavenly! Add a touch of Halloween drama and top these gory goodies with homemade candy glass shards.

🩸 Broken Glass Cupcakes

If you like your Halloween sweets to be more chilling than cutesy, these Bloody Glass Cupcakes are the recipe for you!

They start out innocently enough, with a red velvet cupcake base and a swirl of creamy vanilla frosting on top. But then things get macabre: add spiky shards of edible candy glass, and finish with a drizzle of bright red edible “blood” to make the most gruesome Halloween cupcakes ever.

They’re probably not appropriate for kid’s parties, but for any horror-themed adult get-togethers? They’re to die for.

P.S. Can we agree that red velvet is the master mood-setter for spooky get-togethers? Serve up a slice of Red Velvet Marshmallow Spiderweb Cake, or a steaming cup of bloody Red Velvet Hot Chocolate, and your party is guaranteed to be horrifyingly good.

🧾What You’ll Need

👻 More Halloween Desserts

Witch Finger CookiesZombie Brain Brownie BitesWitch’s Brew Halloween PunchFloating Eyeball Jello ShotsMelting Chocolate SkullsMatcha Chocolate Tarts

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Bloody Glass Cupcakes

These Bloody Glass Cupcakes may look creepy, but the taste of moist red velvet cupcakes, smooth vanilla buttercream, and sweet “bloody” topping is heavenly! Add a touch of Halloween drama and top these gory goodies with homemade candy glass shards.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bloody glass cupcakes, halloween cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used red velvet cupcakes

For the Edible Sugar Glass Shards

• 4 fl oz water (½ cup)
• 8.25 oz light corn syrup or glucose syrup or golden syrup, (¾ cup)
• 14 oz granulated sugar (2 cups)
• 2 tsp clear vanilla extract or other clear extract, if desired

For the Frosting

• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring

For the Blood Topping

• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk or corn syrup or strawberry syrup
• Red gel food coloring

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Make Glass Candy Shards

• Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray, or use non-stick foil.
• Heat water, corn syrup, and sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine 4 fl oz (1/2 cup) water, 8.25 oz (3/4 cup) corn syrup, and 14 oz (2 cups) granulated sugar. Place the pan over medium-high heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Wipe pan with pastry brush: Once the mixture comes to a simmer, brush down the inside walls of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert a candy thermometer.
• Cook without stirring: Continue to cook the candy without stirring until it reads 290° F (143° C) on the thermometer. Watch the temperature carefully–a lower temperature might produce sticky candy, while a higher temperature runs the risk of producing green candy!
• Remove from heat, add flavoring: Once at 290° F (143° C), take the pan off the heat and let it sit for a few moments, until rapid bubbles stop breaking on the surface. Stir in the flavoring.
• Pour candy to set: Pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a thin layer. Let it set completely at room temperature.
• Break: Once set, use a mallet to break it into jagged pieces resembling shards of glass. Use the shards to decorate right away or store them for up to a week, see Note below.

Make the Frosting

• Beat the butter: Place the 1 lb (2 cups) butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add milk, salt, and vanilla: Turn the speed lower, and add 1 TBSP milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 TBSP vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• Slowly add powdered sugar: With the mixer running on low, slowly add 28 oz (7 cups) powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Adjust consistency: If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining 1 TBSP milk, a little at a time, and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.
• Use or store: You can use the frosting right away, or store it for up to a week. See Note below.

Make the Blood Topping

• Mix milk and food coloring: Pour 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk into a small bowl. Add a few drops of red gel food coloring and stir until a blood-red color is achieved.

Frost and Decorate the Cupcakes

• Prep piping bags: Put the white buttercream in a piping bag with a large closed star piping tip (I used Ateco #849). Put the blood topping in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used Ateco #3).
• Frost and top with shards: Pipe a swirl of white frosting on top of each cupcake, and insert a few shards of glass candy into the frosting, pointing in different directions.
• Drizzle topping: Then drizzle the blood topping over the glass shards so that it drips down and covers the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
• Store: Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days (the candy glass will become sticky the longer it sits in contact with the frosting).
• Make-ahead: If you want to make the cupcakes in advance, they can be prepped with the white frosting and then stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. Finish the cupcakes with glass shards and blood topping just before serving. Allow chilled cupcakes to come to room temperature for best taste and texture.

Notes

Make the glass candy in advance: The glass shards can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in a dry location at room temperature. In humid climates, the candy will become sticky and might not store well for more than 2 or 3 days. Try placing silica gel packets in the container with the candy to help absorb excess moisture.

Make the frosting in advance. The frosting can be made several days in advance if desired. Place it in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready, let the frosting come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen. Don’t be afraid to adjust the consistency with milk and/or powdered sugar until you’re happy with it.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg

Make the Candy Glass Shards

1. Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil.
2. Heat water, corn syrup, and sugar: In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, mix together water, corn syrup, and granulated sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

3. Wipe pan with pastry brush: Once the mixture begins to simmer, brush down the inside walls of the pan with a wet pastry brush, and insert your candy thermometer.

4. Cook without stirring: Cook the candy without stirring until it reads 290° F (143° C) on the thermometer. Watch the temperature carefully–being off by a few degrees can change the texture of the candy.
5. Remove from heat, add flavoring: Once at the correct temperature, remove pan from heat and rest the candy until rapid bubbles stop breaking on the surface. Stir in the flavoring, if using.
6. Pour candy to set: Pour the candy onto the baking sheet, and spread it in a thin layer to fully set.

7. Break: Once set, break the candy into jagged pieces with a kitchen mallet (or other kitchen tool).

Make the Edible Blood

1. Combine sweetened condensed milk and coloring: Pour 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk into a bowl, then add a generous squirt of red gel food coloring.
2. Stir together: Stir until the milk is a vivid red color. Add more coloring if desired, until you get a shade you like.

Decorate the cupcakes

1. Prep piping bags: Fill a piping bag with a large closed star piping tip with white buttercream. Then fill another piping bag (or zip-top plastic bag) with the bloody topping.
2. Frost and top with shards: Pipe a swirl of white frosting on each cupcake, and insert a few shards of glass candy.
3. Drizzle topping: Snip a small hole in the tip of the piping bag. Drip the blood topping over the glass shards so that it covers the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!

🍬 Candy Making Tips

Candy making is part art, part science (and all delicious!). If you’re new to making candy and want more in-depth information about making edible glass, using a candy thermometer, or making candy at high altitudes, check out these helpful posts:

Edible Sugar GlassHow to Use A Candy ThermometerHow to Test and Calibrate a ThermometerCandy Making at High Altitude: Essential Tips & Techniques

💡 FAQs

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Candy RecipesHalloween DessertsCupcake RecipesRed Velvet Desserts

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Experience love at first bite with these bloody Vampire Bite Cupcakes! They’re stuffed with oozing cherry filling for a chilling Halloween surprise. Use the cupcakes of your choice and simple decorations to make this bloody good cupcake.

🧛🏼‍♂️ Scary Halloween Cupcakes

When it’s time to have a haunted Halloween you’re going to need more than cutesy treats like Candy Corn Cupcakes and Slice and Bake Halloween Cookies. Nope, when it’s a scary Halloween you’re after, you need to go all-out with spooky sweets decked in edible gore.

In my professional opinion, there’s nothing creepier than an oozing “blood-filled” cupcake to get the Halloween chills and thrills started off right.

We’ve already made Vampire Cupcakes, but what about cupcakes that look like they’ve been bitten by Dracula himself? These “Vampire Bite” cupcakes have blood-tinged gummy fangs on top, and are filled with cherry pie filling for the illusion of blood as you sink your teeth in. It’s a fun and creepy surprise that will have you going back for seconds!

🧾What You’ll Need

🩸 Bloody Good Desserts

Melting Chocolate SkullsBloody Halloween Cake BallsWitch Finger CookiesDonut Hole EyeballsBloody Glass CupcakesFloating Eyeball Jello Shots

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Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Experience love at first bite with these bloody Vampire Bite Cupcakes! They're stuffed with oozing cherry filling for a chilling Halloween surprise.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy halloween cupcakes, halloween scary cupcakes, vampire bite cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used white cupcakes

For the frosting:

• 1 lb unsalted butter (4 sticks), sat cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring

To decorate:

• Red decorating gel
• Gummy fangs or other fang candy/decoration
• 1 can cherry pie filling about 20 oz

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To Make the Frosting:

• Beat butter: Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add milk, salt, and vanilla: Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• Slowly add powdered sugar: With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Adjust the consistency: If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk and mix it in well.
• You can use the frosting right away, or store it for up to a week – see the Notes below.

To Decorate:

• Blend cherry filling: Pour the cherry filling into a small bowl and use an immersion blender to roughly chop the cherries into smaller pieces.
• Fill cupcakes: Cut a cone-shaped hole in the top of each cupcake, and fill the hole with cherry filling, leaving a small gap at the top. Cut the bottom of the cone pieces off, so you're left with just the tops. Add the cupcake tops
• Pipe on frosting: Place the prepared frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, such as Ateco #849. Pipe a swirl of white frosting on top of a cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Finish cupcakes: Dab two dots of red gel on the cupcake to look like pokes from two pointy teeth. Top each cupcake with gummy vampire teeth. Enjoy!
• Storage: Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Make the frosting in advance. You can actually make the frosting several days in advance if desired. Place the frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

1. Chop cherry filling: Use a stick blender to coarsely chop the cherries into smaller pieces. You can use a knife instead if you prefer.
2. Cut cupcake tops: Use a small knife to make a small cone-shaped hole on the top of each cupcake. Cut the bottom of the cone pieces off, so you’re left with just a thin top.

3. Add filling: Fill each cupcake hole with cherry filling. Place the cupcake top back on the filling.
4. Top with frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip with the prepared frosting. Pipe a large swirl on top of each cupcake.

5. Dab with gel: Squeeze two dots of red decorating gel on each cupcake to look like pokes from vampire fangs.
6. Finish: Place gummy vampire teeth on top of the cupcakes and enjoy!

💡Tips and FAQs for Success

• Frosting consistency: So many factors can impact frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen — don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Browse More:

All Halloween DessertsSuper-Spooky Halloween SweetsCupcake RecipesBest Halloween Cakes

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Making these creepy-cute Skull Cupcakes is easier than you think. Learn how to create a simple skull design out of buttercream for Halloween – complete with a photo tutorial. Bone-appetit!

☠️ How to Make Skull Cupcakes for Halloween

Celebrating spooky season in style just got a little easier!

No complicated Halloween treats here – these Skull Cupcakes are surprisingly simple, and 100% adorable. (Can you call something decorated like a skull adorable?? Maybe I should say they’re to die for instead.)

All you need are baked cupcakes and two colors of buttercream to make these Jack Skellington-inspired faces. You’re welcome to take a shortcut and use your favorite cake mix for these cupcakes. But if you’re looking for some homemade inspiration, browse our list of cupcake recipes here.

Find the recipe and full photo tutorial below, to guide you through every step of decorating. Have fun!

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

It doesn’t take much to make these cupcakes! Take a look at these ingredient tips as you gather what you’ll need. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Cupcakes: You’ll need 24 baked and cooled cupcakes in the flavor of your choice. Make cupcakes from scratch or use your favorite mix!
• Unsalted butter and salt: I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in my frosting. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the added salt. Give the butter time to soften to cool room temperature.
• Milk: Use milk or water to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
• Vanilla extract: My favorite brand of vanilla extract is made by Nielsen-Massey.
• Powdered sugar: This frosting recipe is an American Buttercream, which is powdered sugar-based. You’ll want to measure the sugar with a scale if possible and then sift it into the mixture.
• Black gel food coloring: I love the Americolor brand of gel food coloring. It’s highly concentrated so you only need a little to achieve deep coloring. I used super black to dye the frosting for the facial details. Check the Tips below for more information about making deep black frosting.

Equipment

All you’ll need are some piping tools to create the look of these Skull Cupcakes! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Piping bags and couplers: I like these piping bags because they are washable and can be reused. You’ll also need a few standard couplers. If you don’t have these items, you can make your own piping bags from plastic zip-top bags (see the Tips section below!). If you go this route you won’t need couplers or a piping tip, either.
• Piping tip: I’d recommend using a small round tip like Wilton Tip #1 to pipe on the facial details.
• Cupcake liners: I used plain black cupcake liners for these cupcakes. However, as a totally optional and fun upgrade, you can dress your cupcakes in solid colored rainbow liners or Halloween cupcake liners.

💀 More Skull Treats

Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel SkullsMelting Chocolate SkullsBrain CupcakesSkull Cake for Dia de los Muertos

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Skull Cupcakes

These creepy-cute Skull Cupcakes make an easy Halloween treat! Create a simple skull design out of buttercream on cupcakes of your choice.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: halloween skull cupcake, skull cupcake

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used chocolate cupcakes

For the Frosting

• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring
• Black gel food coloring I used Americolor Super Black

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Make the Frosting

• Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.
• Separate out about a quarter of the frosting. Dye the smaller portion black, using good-quality gel or powder food coloring. (If you don’t mind some chocolate flavor, you can also add black cocoa powder (about ¼ cup) to it so you won’t need to use as much food coloring). You can use the colored frosting right away, but it’s best to chill it for at least 1 hour before use. See Note below.

Frost the Cupcakes

• When you are ready to begin decorating, place the white frosting in a piping bag fitted with a plain coupler, and the black frosting in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, like Wilton #1.
• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe a large round ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP). Invert the cupcake and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator for about an hour, until the buttercream is very firm. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.

Decorate the Cupcakes

• Take the piping bag with black buttercream and pipe the skull face. Give it two ovals for eyes, two small lines for a nose, and a long mouth with stitches across it. Repeat until all of the cupcakes are decorated.
• Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

How to make true black frosting. Black frosting is one of the most difficult colors to make. Giving the frosting time to sit for 24 hours allows the color to fully develop and makes a more vibrant black. If you’ve got time, make and color the buttercream a day before you want to use it. You can actually make and color the frosting several days in advance if desired! Place the colored frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

Frost cupcakes

1. Prepare to decorate. Fill 2 piping bags: fit one with a plain coupler and fill it with white frosting, and fit the other with a small round tip, like Wilton #1, and fill it with black frosting. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Frost. Pipe a ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (about 3 TBSP). Turn the cupcake upside down and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets until the frosting spreads evenly, covering the top of the cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
3. Chill. Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the buttercream is very firm (about an hour).

Decorate Cupcakes

1. Remove from parchment. Once the frosting is firm, peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing completely flat buttercream tops.
2. Pipe eyes and nose. Start piping the faces with the black buttercream. Give each cupcake two slanted oval eyes and two small lines for a nose.

3. Finish cupcakes. Make the mouth by piping a long, wavy line of frosting and then cross it with stitches. Repeat until all of the cupcakes are decorated.
4. Enjoy!

Browse More:

All Halloween DessertsSuper-Spooky Halloween SweetsCupcake RecipesBest Halloween Cakes

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Don’t wait to sink your teeth into these Vampire Cupcakes! Use buttercream, fondant and candy to turn your cupcakes into cute (and spooky!) vampires for Halloween.

🧛🏼‍♂️ Spooky Vampire Cupcakes

The secret to a killer Halloween? Desserts that are both cute and creepy, like these easy Vampire Cupcakes.

Today I’m sharing my decorating tricks to make these bloody cute Vampire Cupcakes. You’ll start with prepared cupcakes of your choice, easy homemade frosting, fondant, and a few candy decorations. Just follow the simple step-by-step directions, and you’ll be ready to party vampire-style in no time!

Because we’re all about the decorating, I encourage you to take a shortcut and use your favorite cake mix for these cupcakes. But if you’re looking for some homemade inspiration, browse our list of cupcake recipes here.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few things to make and decorate these cupcakes. Don’t miss these important ingredient tips. Full ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card below. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

For the Cupcakes and Frosting

• Cupcakes: You’ll need 24 baked and cooled cupcakes. Make cupcakes from scratch or use your favorite mix! I used white cupcakes for these little bloodsuckers, but you can make any flavor you like.
• Unsalted butter and salt: I like to control the amount of salt in my frosting. I used cool room temperature unsalted butter and then added salt. If you don’t have unsalted butter, you can use salted butter and omit the salt.
• Milk: Use milk or water to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
• Vanilla extract: I like to use Nielssen-Massey Madagascar vanilla extract because it has amazing flavor. You can use any brand you like.
• Powdered sugar: This frosting recipe is an American Buttercream, which is powdered sugar-based. You’ll want to measure the sugar with a scale if possible and then sift it into the mixture.

For the Decorations

• Fondant: To make the vampire hair and teeth, you’ll need some black fondant and white fondant.
• Candy for the eyes and nose: I used small candy eyeballs and white candy pearls for the nose. Feel free to substitute other types of candy.
• Red gel food coloring: I recommend using Americolor red gel food coloring. It’s highly concentrated, so you’ll only need a little to make a deep shade of red frosting for the mouth. You’ll also use it to add a bit of ‘blood’ to the vampire teeth.

Equipment

Although optional, getting a few decorating tools will make the process of creating these cupcakes even eaiser. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Piping bag and couplers: I like these piping bags because they are washable and reusable. You’ll also need some couplers. You can also make your own piping bags from plastic zipper bags. If you go this route you won’t need couplers or tips, either.
• Piping tips: I’d recommend using a small round tip, like Ateco tip #3, for the mouth.
• Cupcake liners: I used some fun red, black and white cupcake liners when I baked my cupcakes. You could also dress them in solid colored rainbow liners or Halloween cupcake liners.
• Fondant tools: A small fondant roller will help you to make the fondant smooth and even.
• Round cutter: And last but not least, you’ll need a round cutter with a 2.5-inch diameter.

🎃 More Halloween Desserts

Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel SkullsZombie Brain Brownie BitesFloating Eyeball Jello ShotsDirt Pudding Cups (Dirt Dessert)Bloody Halloween Cake BallsFrankenstein Pistachio Blondies

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Vampire Cupcakes

Don’t wait to sink your teeth into these Vampire Cupcakes! Use buttercream, fondant and candy to turn your cupcakes into cute (and spooky!) vampires for Halloween.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: halloween cupcakes, vampire cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 24 cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used white cupcakes

For Frosting

• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring

For Decorating

• 8 oz black fondant
• 2 oz white fondant
• 48 candy eyeballs
• 24 candy pearls
• Red gel food coloring I used Americolor Super Red

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To Make the Frosting

• Beat the butter: Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add milk, salt, and vanilla: Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• Slowly add powdered sugar: With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Adjust consistency: If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk. See Note below.
• Chill: You can use the frosting right away, but you’ll get the best results chilling it for about 1 hour before use.
• Use or store: If you want to make it several days in advance, place the frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

To Frost the Cupcakes

• Prep piping bag: When you are ready to begin decorating, place the white frosting into a piping bag fitted with a plain coupler or large round tip like Ateco tip #809.
• Frost cupcakes: Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe a large round ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP). Invert the cupcake and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Chill: Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator for about an hour, until the buttercream is very firm. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.

To Decorate the Cupcakes

• Make black fondant circles: While the cupcakes chill, prepare your decorations. Roll out the black fondant until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. Use a circular cutter (about 2.5 inches wide) to cut out a black circle.
• Cut fondant: Use the cutter to shape the black circle into vampire hair. Place the top of the cutter over the center of a black circle of fondant. Press down to cut away an eye-shaped piece of the circle.
• Finish vampire hair: Then use the cutter to cut the remaining moon-shaped piece of fondant in half. Take the symmetrical piece of fondant and set it aside to use for vampire hair. Unused pieces of the fondant can be reincorporated into the main block of fondant and rolled out again. Roll, cut and shape fondant circles until you have 24 pieces of black fondant vampire hair.
• Make vampire teeth: Roll out the white fondant until it’s about 1/8-inch thick thick. Cut the fondant in a strip that is approximately 1/2-inch wide. Cut in a diagonal line across the width of the white fondant strip to cut a pointy white vampire tooth. Continue cutting triangular shapes off of the strip of fondant until you have 48 fondant vampire teeth.
• Dip teeth: If desired, lay out a piece of parchment paper and fill a small bowl with a few drops of red gel food coloring. Dip the tip of each fondant tooth into the red gel food coloring and then set them on the parchment paper to dry.
• Top cupcake with vampire hair: Remove the chilled cupcakes from the refrigerator and place a piece of black fondant vampire hair on the top of the cupcake.
• Make eyes and nose: Just below the hairline, press two candy eyes and a candy nose gently into the buttercream.
• Make mouth: Fill a piping bag with red frosting and a small piping tip (I used Ateco #3). Pipe a red line for the mouth and place two vampire teeth on top. Press them into the buttercream gently so they stick.
• Finish cupcakes: Repeat the process of making a vampire face on each of your cupcakes. Enjoy!
• Store: Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

Frost the Cupcakes

1. Prepare to frost. Place the white frosting into a piping bag fitted with a plain coupler. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Pipe frosting ball. Pipe a large round ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP).
3. Flatten frosting. Invert the cupcake and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
4. Freeze. Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator for about 60 minutes or in the freezer for 30 min, until the buttercream is very firm.
5. Remove from parchment. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.

Make the Vampire Hair

While the cupcakes chill, prepare the fondant hair and teeth. First, for the hair:

1. Cut a black fondant circle. Roll out the black fondant until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. Use a circular cutter (about 2.5 inches wide) to cut out a black circle.
2. Cut the circle twice. Position the cutter about halfway up the fondant circle, press down to cut away the bottom half of the circle, leaving you a crescent-shaped piece. Then, use the cutter to cut that crescent in half. This is your vampire’s hair.
3. Make 24 vampire hair pieces. Continue to roll and cut the fondant until you have 24 pieces of black fondant vampire hair. You can re-roll the fondant as many times as necessary.

Make the Vampire Teeth

1. Cut a white fondant strip. Roll out the white fondant until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. Cut the fondant into a 1/2-inch wide strip.
2. Cut pointy teeth. Cut in a diagonal line across the width of the white fondant strip to create a pointy white vampire tooth. Continue cutting triangular shapes off of the strip of fondant until you have 48 fondant vampire teeth.
3. Color teeth tips red. If you want to make your teeth bloodstained, lay out a piece of parchment paper and fill a small bowl with a few drops of red gel food coloring. Dip the tip of each fondant tooth into the red gel food coloring and set them on the parchment paper to dry. Tip: this step is much easier (and less messy!) if you use tweezers to hold the teeth.

Decorate the Cupcakes

Time to put it all together and decorate!

1. Add the hair. Place a piece of black fondant vampire hair on the top of the cupcake. It should stick fine, but if it doesn’t, a thin brushing of corn syrup on the back of the fondant will help.
2. Add the eyes and nose. Just below the hairline, press two candy eyes and a candy nose gently into the buttercream.

1. Make the mouth and add teeth. Pipe a red line for the mouth and place two vampire teeth on top. Press them into the buttercream gently so they stick.
2. Finish cupcakes. Repeat the process of making a vampire face on each of your cupcakes. Enjoy!

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Get ready for some monster fun! All you need is frosting, candy, and a bit of creativity to transform ordinary cupcakes into colorful Monster Cupcakes for Halloween. Follow our easy recipe and step-by-step photos to make your own monster menagerie.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

You’ll likely have most of what you need to make the cupcakes and frosting at home. Check out these helpful ingredient tips as you make your shopping list, and don’t forget the candy! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

For the Cupcakes and Frosting

• Cupcakes: You’ll need 24 baked and cooled cupcakes. Make cupcakes from scratch or use your favorite mix! I made chocolate cupcakes for my little monsters, but you can make any flavor you like.
• Unsalted butter and salt: I like to control the amount of salt in my frosting. I used unsalted butter and then added salt separately. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the salt. The butter should be at cool room temperature.
• Milk: Use milk or water to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
• Vanilla extract: My favorite brand of vanilla extract is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla, but you can use whatever brand you have on hand.
• Powdered sugar: This frosting recipe is an American Buttercream, which is powdered sugar-based. You’ll want to measure the sugar with a scale if possible and then sift it into the mixture.

For the Decorations

• Assorted gel food coloring: You’ll want to use gel or powdered food coloring because they are highly concentrated, so you need less to get a vibrant shade. I love the Americolor brand of gel food coloring because you only need a little to achieve deep coloring. I used: lemon yellow, regal purple, royal blue, orange and electric green.
• Candy eyeballs: If you plan to give each cupcake two eyes, you’ll need at least 48 candy eyeballs. However, don’t be afraid to change things up. Decorate some of the cupcakes all over with eyeballs, or give them unique numbers of eyes just for fun.
• Assorted candy: You can use as much or as little candy as you’d like! I used quite a few different options to give you lots of ideas, but it’s definitely not necessary to make them all different. For my cupcakes I used, Lifesavers Gummies, Mike & Ikes, candy corn, Skittles, and Airheads.

Equipment

All you’ll need for these cupcakes is some basic piping supplies! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Piping bags and couplers: I like these piping bags (I wash them and re-use them to reduce waste!) and these couplers. You can also make your own piping bags from plastic zipper bags. If you go this route, you won’t need couplers or tips, but keep in mind that you won’t have as much variety for the shape of the monster body and fur.
• Assorted piping tips: You really only need a couple of tips to make a variety of different designs. I recommend a grass tip (Wilton 233) for long fur or a swirling mound of fur, a small leaf tip (Ateco 352) for spiky fur, and a small open star tip (Wilton 21) for shaggy fur.
• Cupcake liners:I used plain black cupcake liners when I baked my cupcakes. However, you can have fun when it’s time to serve them by dressing them in solid colored rainbow liners or special Halloween cupcake liners.

🧡 Spooky & Sweet

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Monster Cupcakes

Get ready for some monster fun! All you need is frosting, candy, and a bit of creativity to transform ordinary cupcakes into colorful Monster Cupcakes for Halloween.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: monster cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used chocolate cupcakes

For the Frosting

• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring

For the Decorations

• Assorted gel food coloring I used Americolor brand: lemon yellow, regal purple, royal blue, orange, electric green
• 48 Candy eyeballs Use any size or color you like
• Assorted candy I used Gummy lifesavers, Mike & Ikes, Candy corn, Skittles, and Airheads

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Make the Frosting

• Beat the butter: Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add milk, salt, and vanilla: Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• Slowly add powdered sugar: With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Adjust consistency: If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.
• Color the frosting: To dye the frosting, separate it into smaller bowls that correspond to the number of colors you plan to use. Use gel food coloring to color the frosting into colorful shades. I made green, orange, yellow, blue and purple frosting.
• Chill: You can use the colored frosting right away, but it’s best to chill it for at least 1 hour before use. See Note below.

Frost the Cupcakes

• Prep piping bags: When you are ready to frost the cupcakes, place each color of frosting in a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. I used a grass tip, leaf tip, large star and small star.
• Lotsa Eyeballs Monster: Use a piping bag fitted with a coupler to pipe a large round ball of frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP). Then place a grass tip on the end of the piping bag and swirl strings of frosting over the frosting blob to give the monster body some texture. I decorated mine all over with eyeballs instead of making a more traditional face.
• Shaggy Monster: Use a piping bag fitted with a grass tip. Cover the top of the frosting with strings of frosting that overlap and swirl around.
• Hairy Monster: Use a piping bag fitted with a grass tip. Use small, short pulses of frosting to cover the top of a cupcake with frosting hair. Pull upward with each pulse of frosting to make the hair stand up.
• Spiky Monster: Use a piping bag fitted with a small star tip or leaf tip. Use small, short pulses of frosting to cover the top of the cupcake with a layer of textured frosting. You can make a flat layer of frosting or build the pulses upward to give the body of the monster some height.

Decorate the Cupcakes

• Decorate: Immediately decorate frosted cupcakes with monster faces. (American buttercream forms a crust on the outside as it dries. You’ll have the best results if you work to decorate in batches of 2-3 cupcakes at a time). You can use any type of candy you like to make eyes, ears, mouths, noses, and horns. Keep in mind that you can cut the candy into smaller pieces and/or roll them into different shapes.
• Store: Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Make, color and chill the frosting in advance. Bright, vibrant shades of frosting can be difficult to make. Giving the frosting time to sit for for 24 hours allows the color to fully develop and look even. If you’ve got time, make and color the buttercream a day before you want to use it.

You can actually make and color the frosting several days in advance if desired! Place the colored frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

Lotsa Eyeballs Monster

1. Pipe a frosting ball. Use a piping bag fitted with a coupler to pipe a large round ball of frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP).
2. Cover with stringy swirls. Then place a grass tip on the end of the piping bag and swirl strings of frosting over the frosting blob to give the monster body some hairy texture.
3. Add eyes. Press a variety of candy eyeballs all over the frosting – you can use different colors and sizes too.

Shaggy Monster

1. Make a swirled body. Use a piping bag fitted with a grass tip. Cover the top of the frosting with strings of frosting that overlap and swirl around.
2. Decorate. Take a Starburst fruit chew and cut it into quarters. Shape two quarters into horns, and press them into the top of the monster. Add two large candy eyeballs as a finishing touch.

Hairy Monster

1. Make frosting hair. Use a piping bag fitted with a grass tip. Use small, short squeezes of frosting to cover the top of a cupcake with frosting hair. (Just like when we made Cookie Monster Cupcakes!) Pull upward with each pulse of frosting to make the hair stand up.
2. Decorate. Use pieces of starburst to make two horns, and insert them at the top. Cut a gummy lifesaver in half, and add the halves next to the horns to make ears. Add half of a Mike & Ike’s for a nose, and finish with two large candy eyeballs.

Spiky Monster

1. Make frosting fur. Use a piping bag fitted with a small star tip or leaf tip. Use small, short squeezes of frosting to cover the top of the cupcake with a layer of spiky textured frosting. You can make a flat layer of frosting first, or build the spikes upward to give the body of the monster some height.
2. Decorate. Add colorful candy corn to the top of the cupcake to be horns. Finish with candy eyeballs and a Sixlet or Skittle nose.

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Transform your cupcakes into mummies with this simple Halloween cupcake recipe! Learn how to create those iconic bandages and make these adorable, spooky-sweet treats.

These mummies are all about the fun decorating, so we’re keeping everything else simple. You’ll need cupcakes of your choice (use one of our cupcake recipes, or your favorite box mix), easy buttercream frosting (recipe below!), and candy eyeballs.

Follow along with the step-by-step photo tutorial or video walkthrough, and you’ll see how simple it is to create those classic mummy bandage decorations. They’re so easy to make, you’ll be unwrapping them in no time.

🧾 What You’ll Need

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Mummy Cupcakes

Transform your cupcakes into mummies with this simple Halloween cupcake recipe! All you’ll need is baked cupcakes, buttercream and candy eyes to make the perfect Halloween treat.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: halloween cupcakes, mummy cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used chocolate cupcakes
• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring
• 1.5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (½ cup), sifted
• 48 candy eyeballs

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Make the Frosting

• Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk, a little at a time, and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.
• Divide the frosting evenly into two bowls. Sift the cocoa powder into one of the bowls and mix well to give it a dark chocolate brown color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until all the powder has been blended in.
• You can use the frosting right away, or store it for up to a week – see the Notes below.

Frost and Decorate the Cupcakes

• Put the chocolate buttercream in a piping bag with a large round tip or plain coupler. Put the white buttercream in a piping bag with a small basketweave tip (I used Ateco #46).
• Pipe a mound of chocolate frosting on top of a cupcake. Then smooth the top with a small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to look perfect because most of the top will be covered.
• Place two candy eyes on top of the cupcake. Repeat frosting, smoothing and placing eyes until all the cupcakes have been done.
• Take the piping bag filled with white buttercream and pipe flat stripes of frosting over the top of a cupcake. Overlap the stripes of frosting at different angles to make them look like mummy bandages. Add white frosting stripes to all the cupcakes and enjoy!
• Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Make the frosting in advance. You can actually make the frosting several days in advance if desired. Place the frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

1. Prepare piping bags. Put the chocolate buttercream in a piping bag with a plain coupler. Put the white buttercream in a piping bag with a small basketweave tip (I used Ateco #46).
2. Frost cupcakes. Pipe a mound of chocolate frosting on top of a cupcake.
3. Smooth cupcake tops. Smooth the top with a small offset spatula – no need to make it perfect, since most of it will be covered anyhow.

4. Add eyes. Press two candy eyes on top. Repeat until you’ve added chocolate frosting and eyes to all of the cupcakes.
5. Start piping bandages. Take the piping bag filled with white buttercream and pipe flat stripes of frosting over the top of a cupcake.

6. Overlap multiple times. Overlap the stripes of frosting at different angles to make them look like mummy bandages. Add white frosting stripes to all the cupcakes.
7. Enjoy!

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Learn how to make festive Candy Corn Cupcakes for Halloween. These cute treats feature a moist chocolate cupcake with a hidden candy corn frosting twist!

🧁 Cupcakes With a Hidden Frosting Candy Corn Inside!

If you’re a frosting lover, these incredibly cute candy corn cupcakes are a must-bake for Halloween! At first glance, they look like chocolate cupcakes with a candy corn frosting design on top. Cute but not extraordinary.

But–twist!!–when you take a bite, you’ll discover that they have a sweet secret – a second frosting candy corn hidden inside the cupcake!

Yes, it’s a lot of frosting, and I recognize that it’s too much for some people. But don’t let that stop you from trying these! If you want to tone it down a little, you can use just a thin layer of frosting on top, and save most of the fun for the inside of the cupcake.

🧾 What You’ll Need

🎃 More Halloween Treats

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Candy Corn Cupcakes

Learn how to make festive candy corn cupcakes for Halloween. These cute treats feature a moist chocolate cupcake with a hidden candy corn frosting twist!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Decorating Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: candy corn, chocolate cupcakes, cupcakes, Halloween

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 6 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4.75 oz granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
• 5 oz brown sugar (2/3 cup), packed
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup), at room temperature
• 4 oz sour cream (1/2 cup), at room temperature
• 2 TBSP water or brewed coffee
• 7.8 oz all-purpose flour (1¾ cups)
• 3 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (1 cup), sifted
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

For the Buttercream:

• 5 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites
• 20 oz powdered sugar (5 cups)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 20 oz unsalted butter (5 sticks, or 2.5 cups), at room temperature
• 2 TBSP vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring I used Americolor Lemon Yellow and Orange

To Decorate

• Candy corn or other themed candy of your choice

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To Make the Chocolate Cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with 24 paper wrappers.
• Add the butter and both sugars to the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat them together on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix it in.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and water (or coffee, if using). In a different bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add a quarter of the sifted flour mixture. When the flour streaks have almost all disappeared, add a third of the liquid to the mixing bowl. When that’s incorporated, continue to add the drys and wets in an alternating pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.
• When the dry ingredients are nearly incorporated, stop the mixer. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and finish mixing the cake by hand. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool completely before decorating.

To Make the Frosting:

• Combine the whites, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix everything together on low speed, until the sugar is moistened and no dry patches remain.
• Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat on medium for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, turn the mixer to medium-low and start adding the softened room temperature butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Once all of the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla extract and mix it in. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides once more.
• Turn the speed to medium and beat the buttercream for 10 minutes. At the end, you’ll have a frosting with a wonderfully light and creamy texture.
• Divide the buttercream into thirds. Leave one third white, and use the gel food colorings to dye one third yellow and one third orange.
• The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to six months. If you have chilled the frosting, let it come to room temperature and then beat it for several minutes to smooth it out and restore its texture before using it.

To Assemble:

• When you’re ready to assemble the cupcakes, fit 3 piping bags with 1M tips, and fill them with white, yellow, and orange buttercream.
• Use a sharp paring knife to cut a cone-shaped hole out of the top of the cupcakes. Pipe a dab of white buttercream in the bottom, filling about ⅓ of the hole. Then pipe orange buttercream on top of the white. Finally, pipe a layer of yellow buttercream on the orange, leaving a bit of room at the top. Cut the bottom off of the cupcake cone, and gently press the top back on the cupcake. (The cone bottom can be eaten or thrown away—I trust you will find something to do with it.) Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
• Pipe a swirl of yellow buttercream on top of the cupcakes in a single layer. Add a smaller swirl of orange on top of the yellow. Finally, add a white swirl to finish the cupcakes off. Top them with a single candy corn, or other seasonal candy of your choice.
• Enjoy! Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For the best taste and texture, bring them to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Note that this is a LOT of frosting per cupcake. Some people love that, some people don’t! If you fall into the “don’t love” category, I suggest keeping the hidden frosting candy corn in the cupcake, and finishing them with a small, simple swirl of frosting instead of the big swirl.

If you go this route, you can reduce the frosting recipe by about ⅓, or make it as written and freeze the extra frosting for later. It saves beautifully and lasts for about 6 months!

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 832IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

1. Use a sharp paring knife to cut a cone-shaped hole out of the top of the cupcakes.
2. Pop the cone out, and cut the bottom off of the cone. (The bottom portion is extra that you can nibble on while decorating. Yum!) Set the top aside for a moment.

3. Pipe a dab of white buttercream in the bottom, filling about ⅓ of the hole. (This is going to be an approximate process, and it’s okay they’re not all perfectly even.)
4. Next pipe orange buttercream on top of the white, making sure you leave space at the top for the last color.

5. Finally, pipe a layer of yellow buttercream on the orange, leaving a bit of room at the top.
6. Gently press the top of the cupcake back on, over the frosting filling.

7. Pipe a swirl of yellow buttercream on top of the cupcakes in a single layer.
8. Add a smaller swirl of orange on top of the yellow.

9. Finally, add a white swirl to finish the cupcakes off.
10. Top them with a single candy corn, or other seasonal candy of your choice.

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These spooky Frankenstein Cupcakes are perfect for Halloween! Use this easy cupcake decorating technique to make a Frankenstein face from buttercream and sprinkles on the cupcake flavor of your choice.

🧾 What You’ll Need

🧡 More Halloween Cupcakes

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5 from 1 vote

Frankenstein Cupcakes

These spooky Frankenstein Cupcakes are perfect for Halloween! Use this easy cupcake decorating technique to make a Frankenstein face from buttercream and sprinkles on the cupcake flavor of your choice.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Decorating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: frankenstein cupcakes, monster cupcakes

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 24 baked and cooled cupcakes from scratch or your favorite mix, I used white cupcakes

For the Frosting

• 1 lb unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 2 TBSP milk can substitute water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 28 oz powdered sugar (7 cups), sifted after measuring

To Decorate

• Black gel food coloring I used Americolor brand, Super Black
• Green gel food coloring I used Americolor brand, Electric Green
• 12 Tootsie Roll Midgees or black fondant or gumpaste
• Chocolate jimmies or other sprinkle of choice
• 48 small candy eyeballs

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Make the Frosting

• Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
• Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
• With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk, a little at a time, and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.

Color the Frosting

• Separate out about a quarter of the buttercream and place it in a small bowl. Dye this portion black, using good-quality powder or gel food coloring, like Americolor Super Black. (If you don’t mind some chocolate flavor, you can also add 1/4 cup black cocoa powder to reduce the amount of food coloring needed).
• Dye the remaining three quarters of the frosting a bright vibrant green – I used Americolor Electric Green gel food coloring.
• You can use the colored frosting right away, but it’s best to chill it for at least 1 hour before use. See Note below.

Frost the Cupcakes

• When you are ready to frost the cupcakes, place some green frosting into a piping bag fitted with a plain coupler or large round tip, like Ateco tip #809.
• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe a large round ball of green frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP).
• Invert the cupcake and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake. Leave it upside-down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Chill the cupcakes for 30 minutes in the freezer or 60 minutes in the refrigerator, until the buttercream is very firm. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.

Decorate the Cupcakes

• Place the black frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used Wilton tip #1).
• Give Frankenstein hair by piping around the top of a cupcake and adding a jagged bottom border. Fill in the center of the squiggly shape with black frosting.
• Right away, spoon chocolate jimmies onto the black buttercream and press down gently so they adhere. (Tip: to prevent the jimmies from sticking to the rest of the face, cover the green portion with a small piece of parchment paper.) Repeat with all of the cupcakes.
• To make a slightly thick unibrow, attach a small round piping tip, like Wilton tip #6, to the piping bag filled with green frosting. Pipe a straight or wavy unibrow just below the sprinkle hairline.
• Place 2 small candy eyeballs below the unibrow. Then use the piping bag filled with black frosting to pipe a zig-zag mouth and sewn-up scar.
• Make the neck bolts: unwrap each Tootsie Roll and cut them in half widthwise. Then cut each piece in half again so that you have a total of 48 pieces of candy.
• Pick up a piece of Tootsie Roll and use your fingers to gently start rolling downward to elongate the candy. Keep rolling downward until the Tootsie Roll piece begins to look like a neck bolt. Repeat this process until all 48 pieces are prepped.
• To prevent droopy decorations, attach the neck bolts shortly before serving. Insert a Tootsie Roll neck bolt into the outer rim of the green frosting on the right and left side of the smile. Serve and enjoy!
• Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Make, color and chill the frosting in advance. Black frosting is one of the most difficult colors to make. Giving the frosting time to sit for for 24 hours allows the color to fully develop and makes a more vibrant black. If you’ve got time, make and color the buttercream a day before you want to use it.

You can actually make and color the frosting several days in advance if desired! Place the colored frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then beat it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.

Adjust the frosting consistency. Many factors affect frosting texture, including the brand and temperature of the butter, and the temperature of your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to play around at the end to get a texture you’re happy with.

Tootsie Roll neck bolts. If you are making your cupcakes in advance, wait to insert the candy neck bolts until just before serving. They tend to get soft and droopy with time and may look wilted if they are inserted too early. 

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

Pipe Frosting On Top

1. Prep baking sheets and decorations. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place the smaller decorations in their own bowls. Set all items aside.
2. Fill piping bag. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip, like Ateco #809, or coupler, and fill it with green frosting.
3. Pipe frosting ball. Pipe a large round ball of frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP).

4. Turn upside down and press. Turn the cupcake upside down and gently press it onto a lined baking sheet so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake.
5. Chill until firm. Repeat this frosting technique for all the cupcakes. Place them in the freezer for 30 minutes or the refrigerator for 60 minutes, until very firm.
6. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.

Create the Hair

1. Prep black frosting. Fit another piping bag with black frosting and a small round tip, like Wilton round tip #1.
2. Pipe frosting hair. Make the hair by piping along the top edge of the cupcake and then make a squiggly line that connects frome one side to the other. Fill in the center of the squiggly shape with black frosting.
3. Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies. Right away, sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on top of the black frosting and press gently so they stick. Tip: cover the green part of the cupcake with a strip of parchment during the sprinkle step to keep it clean. Repeat until all the cupcakes have sprinkle hair.

Add Facial Details

1. Create green brow. Attach a small round piping tip, like Wilton tip #6, to the piping bag filled with green frosting. Pipe a unibrow just below the hairline.
2. Add eyes, mouth and scars. Place 2 small candy eyeballs below the unibrow. Pipe on a black zig-zag mouth and scar/stitches. Continue adding facial details until all the cupcakes have a face.

4. Shape Tootsie Rolls. Cut 12 small Tootsie Rolls in half lengthwise. Cut each piece in half again, so that you have 48 pieces of candy total. Take a Tootsie Roll and pinch gently on the bottom half of the piece and use your fingers to gently roll downward until the candy is elongated on one side. Repeat this process until you have 48 neck bolts.
5. Insert neck bolts. Insert a neck bolt into the outer rim of the green frosting on the right and left side of the smile on each cupcake. Tip: Tootsie Rolls tend to get soft and droopy with time and moisture, and may look wilted if they are inserted too early. Add the neck bolts just before serving.
6. Enjoy!

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