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Easy Decorated Halloween Cupcakes Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 50 reviews
  • Author: Megane
  • 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 decorated Halloween cupcakes featuring four fun designs: Green and Purple Monster Cupcakes, Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes, and Spider Cupcakes. Each cupcake is beautifully frosted with creamy homemade vanilla buttercream, tinted with gel food colors, and topped with themed candy decorations that bring spooky charm to your party table. Perfect for both kids and adults, these cupcakes combine festive fun with delicious flavors, all made without baking time since the cupcakes are pre-made or store-bought.

Ingredients

Scale

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 (see note)
  • 6 Tablespoons (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Salt, to taste

Monster Cupcakes Decorations

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

Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes Decorations

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

Spider Cupcakes Decorations

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

Instructions

  1. Make the vanilla buttercream: With 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 full minutes. Taste the frosting and add a pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon) if it’s too sweet. To remove air bubbles, stir by hand with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon pressing the frosting against the bowl sides 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, beating between additions until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Tint the frosting: Divide the frosting into bowls based on the number of colors needed (five bowls if making all designs). Add gel food coloring drops to each bowl to achieve desired shades. Use leaf green, fuchsia mixed with violet for purple, orange, super black, and keep one bowl white for spiders. To tone down brightness, add a tiny dot of black gel color using a toothpick. Colors will darken as frosting sits.
  4. Decorate 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 the cupcake to form the monster’s fur texture. Place a large candy eyeball in the center, pressing gently to secure.
  5. Decorate Purple Monster Cupcakes: Fit a piping bag with the same small open star tip and coupler. Fill with purple frosting. Pipe stars evenly covering the cupcake surface. Press small candy eyeballs gently into the frosting, finish with sprinkles as desired.
  6. Decorate Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes: Fill three piping bags with orange, green, and black frosting using respective tips: large petal tip (Wilton #125) for orange, small open star tip (Wilton #21) for green, and small round tip (Wilton #4) for black. Pipe orange rounded vertical lines side-to-side to create the pumpkin’s body. Use green frosting to pipe a stem at the top. Pipe black frosting for eyes, nose, and mouth to create spooky or goofy jack-o’-lantern faces.
  7. Decorate Spider Cupcakes: Spread white frosting evenly on cupcake tops with offset spatula or knife. Fill piping bag with black frosting and small round tip (Wilton #4). Pipe three criss-crossing straight lines over white frosting to make six triangular web sections. Connect these with slightly curved lines for the web effect. Place half a mini Oreo cookie on the web to form the spider’s body, pressing gently. Pipe two black dots for eyes on the Oreo, stick two mini candy eyeballs on these dots. Finish by piping four black legs on each side of the Oreo body.
  8. Storage: Store decorated cupcakes uncovered at room temperature for a few hours before serving. For leftovers, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. Use a cupcake carrier for transport and storage.

Notes

  • These cupcakes are best served the day they’re decorated to keep candy eye pupils from becoming runny.
  • If decorating the night before, keep cupcakes uncovered to preserve candy eyes.
  • Cupcakes can be baked or made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature covered.
  • Confectioners’ sugar may need sifting 1–2 times to avoid lumps.
  • Use heavy cream for creamiest buttercream; half-and-half or whole milk works but yields less creamy frosting.
  • Use proper piping tips and bags listed for detailed decorations.
  • For smaller batches or fewer designs, scale down the buttercream recipe accordingly.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 350
  • Sugar: 32g
  • Sodium: 150mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 11g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 45g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 50mg

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