🧁👻 How to Make Boo-tiful Halloween Cupcakes
Posted on August 16, 2025
- 🎂 Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder (for chocolate cupcakes — or skip for vanilla)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup hot water or hot coffee (brings out chocolate flavor)
For the Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3–4 cups powdered sugar
2–3 Tbsp milk or cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Orange + black gel food coloring
Decorations
Candy eyeballs
Mini marshmallows
Pretzel sticks
Halloween sprinkles
Black licorice strings / gummy worms / candy corn (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Bake the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line cupcake tin with Halloween liners.
In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
In another bowl whisk eggs, oil, milk & vanilla.
Combine wet & dry until smooth. Stir in hot water/coffee.
Fill liners ¾ full. Bake 18–20 minutes. Cool completely.
2️⃣ Make the Buttercream
Beat butter till creamy (about 2 min).
Gradually mix in powdered sugar.
Add vanilla & milk until fluffy.
Divide into bowls → tint with food coloring (orange, black, purple, green).
3️⃣ Decorate! 🎨👻🕷️
Here are some spooky-cute ideas:
Theme
How-To
Ghosts
Pipe white frosting in a tall swirl. Add candy eyes or mini choc chips.
Pumpkins
Frost with orange. Use licorice for stems & draw ridges with toothpick.
Monster eyes
Frost in any color, stick candy eyeballs randomly for a “googly” look.
Spiderwebs
Frost black. Pipe white spiral on top & drag toothpick from center outward.
Graveyard
Crush Oreos for “dirt,” add cookie gravestones & gummy worms.
🕸️ Tips for Extra Spookiness
Use a piping bag with round or star tip for fun textures.
Mix & match cupcake flavors (vanilla + chocolate swirl).
Let kids decorate — messy = spooky!
