Description
These Easy Halloween Cupcakes are a delightful and festive treat perfect for parties, trick-or-treating, or family fun. Decorate classic cupcakes with vibrant orange, green, and black buttercream, and adorn them creatively with themed candies like Reese’s Peanut Butter Ghosts, pumpkins, and candy eyes to celebrate the spooky season with style and sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 24 Cupcakes (use your favorite recipe, see notes)
Orange Buttercream
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 5-7 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- Orange food gel coloring
Black Buttercream
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark recommended)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-5 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- Black food gel coloring
Green Buttercream
- Ingredients similar to Orange Buttercream but tinted with green food gel coloring (quantities same as Orange Buttercream)
Decorations
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Ghosts
- Hershey’s Chocolate Tombstones or Milano Cookies
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins
- Crushed Oreos
- KitKat Miniatures
- Candy Eyes
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
Instructions
- Bake the Cupcakes: Prepare and bake your choice of cupcake recipe, ensuring you have 24 cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely before starting the decoration process to ensure the frosting sets properly.
- Prepare Orange Buttercream: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter until creamy. Gradually add 5 to 7 cups powdered sugar, alternating with ¾ cup heavy cream. Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Add orange food gel coloring until desired shade is reached.
- Prepare Black Buttercream: In a separate bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter. Add ¼ teaspoon espresso powder and ¼ cup dark cocoa powder; mix well. Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Gradually add 3 to 5 cups powdered sugar, alternating with 6 tablespoons heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt and black food gel coloring to achieve a deep black color.
- Prepare Green Buttercream: Using the same technique as orange buttercream, mix 1 cup softened butter with powdered sugar and heavy cream. Add green food gel coloring to achieve a vibrant green hue.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Frost cupcakes creatively using the different colored buttercreams. Use decorations such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Ghosts, pumpkins, Hershey’s Chocolate Tombstones, Milano Cookies, crushed Oreos, KitKat Miniatures, candy eyes, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures to craft playful and spooky Halloween designs.
Notes
- Feel free to use any cupcake recipe you prefer; the decoration works best on classic vanilla or chocolate cupcakes.
- Adjust the powdered sugar and heavy cream in frostings to achieve your preferred consistency for piping or spreading.
- Use gel food coloring sparingly to avoid thinning the frosting colors.
- This recipe yields 24 cupcakes—perfect for sharing at Halloween parties or handing out to friends and family.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 453 kcal
- Sugar: 55 g
- Sodium: 236 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
