Decorated Halloween Cupcakes
There are so many ways to decorate halloween cupcakes but I wanted to share something easy and a little more practical. You don’t need frosting piping skills to decorate these and they are made with treats we all love! And you have two choices of frosting flavors here. You can go for the standard vanilla or my personal favorite was the orange (that chocolate orange combo is quite delicious). The cupcake batter is made in one bowl using a whisk, then you just need a hand mixer for the frosting. So it’s a basic recipe with simple tools that makes delicious results! It may just become your go-to cupcake recipe in general and just change up the tint and decoration according to the holiday or occasion. These are such a tempting Halloween treat in so many ways and they are the perfect thing to bring along to a party. Everyone will want to savor every chocolatey bite!
Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe Ingredients
All-purpose flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour, though bleached will be fine. Granulated sugar: These cupcakes aren’t overly sweet as the frosting will lend quite a bit of sweetness. Dutch process cocoa powder: I have not tested this recipe with regular cocoa powder yet so not sure if it will bake up the same, also Dutch cocoa will give the cupcakes that nice dark appearance so I recommend sticking with it. Baking soda: This will help the cupcakes rise and is a critical ingredient. Salt: A key ingredient balancing the sweetness and keeping hte cupcakes from tasting flat. Just use regular table salt. Buttermilk: In a pinch the buttermilk subsistute of 3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp milk plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar should work. Mix and let it sit 5 minutes before using. Vegetable oil: Canola oil or light olive oil will work great as well. Egg: This helps bind and hold the ingredients together. I have not yet tested egg substitutes in this recipe, if you do please let us know how it works out. Vanilla extract: This will be used in both the cupcake and frosting. Powdered sugar: As always if this is clumpy sift it first. Heavy cream: Half and half or milk will work as well it just won’t be quite as creamy.
Halloween Cupcakes Decorations Ingredients Needed
Regular Oreos Green M&M’s Edible black marker Pretzel sticks Orange jimmy sprinkles (can pick out of a rainbow blend) or round sprinkles, or use orange frosting Orange food coloring (I actually used orange and a some Wilton copper as well for a rich tint)
How to Make Easy Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes
How to Decorate Halloween Cupcakes
Cupcake Storage
Store cupcakes in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring too room temperature before serving. Note that as the cupcakes rest the oreo cookies will soften and the bat wings may break off after the first day. So if making in advance I’d wait to add bat wings. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.
Helpful Tips for Halloween Cupcakes
No piping tips or piping skills are necessary here. You can just spread the orange frosting over the cupcakes using a butter knife or offset spatula rather than piping it over. To test cupcakes for doneness they should spring back in center when touched and not sink, also a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Plan on some extra Oreos as some will break. You can save scraps for baking or mash into vanilla ice cream. Cut Oreos will have crumbs so you can dust them off before adding to the cupcakes if you want a cleaner look. Sift cocoa powder or powdered sugar when baking if it’s clumpy. Sift after you’ve measured it or it will alter the measurement. For best results use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients for most accuracy. If you don’t have one then use the spoon and sweet method to measure flour and cocoa for this recipe.
Possible Variations
Use store-bought mix: Of course I prefer these the homemade route but most kids won’t care if you opt to use a store-bought chocolate or vanilla cake mix and vanilla frosting to make these easy Halloween treats. Just tint the frosting orange with food coloring. Try other ingredients for decorations: You can use peel apart black licorice (or regular) cut into small straight pieces for jack-o’-lantern mouths if you find that easier. Chopped black licorices pieces cut into triangles will also work for the eyes and nose. A mini orange M&M or round sprinkle will work in place of the jimmy sprinkle nose and mouth. Frosting flavor: I personally preferred these with the chocolate orange combo using the orange zest and extract option but kids are fine with vanilla. Another option would be a cream cheese frosting or a white chocolate frosting but you’d likely need to keep these two options fairly chilled so it could hold up the decorations. If you don’t want to take the time to decorate these the easiest option for keeping them festive is just to use and orange, green or purple tinted frosting still, then finish with Halloween sprinkles.
More Easy Halloween Treats to Try
Iced Pumpkin Cookies Pumpkin Shaped Rice Krispies Treats Pumpkin Roll Skeleton Gingerbread Halloween Cookies Spiderweb Halloween Cookies
