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Just in time for Halloween, kids can make these easy chocolate Halloween Cupcakes that look like a bubbling cauldron of witches brew! Simple decorations turn your favorite devil’s food cake mix or gluten free cupcake recipe into a fun spooky treat for every little witch, ghoul, or goblin that starts.
Bringing back this contributor post from a few years ago because it’s too cute not to share again. Originally posted on Oct 8, 2015.
Easy Halloween Cupcakes – with a gluten free option!
Double double, toil and trouble, chocolate cupcakes with frosting and bubbles make these as much fun to make as they are to eat.
I have to thank former contributor Serene from House of Yumm for this super simple Halloween cupcake recipe. Kids of all ages are going to get a kick out of these Cauldron Cupcakes that look like they are bubbling over with witches brew!
This easy Halloween cupcake idea starts with your favorite chocolate cupcakes. A Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix works great, or use a homemade cupcake recipe.
Then fluffy green whipped cream cheese frosting and a few simple decorations for tons of sprinkle ‘bubbles’ make it look like a bubbly cauldron. Yes, it’s a fizzy green potion that any witch (or child, or adult!) would be happy to devour, especially when you serve them with this Halloween punch for kids!
What You’ll Need to Make Halloween Cupcakes
It’s all about the cupcakes, frosting, and decorations. These cupcakes are so simple, you don’t need any special decorating skills to make it look like your favorite chocolate cupcake is boiling over with a fizzy green witches brew from a black cauldron.
Chocolate cupcakes
You can start from scratch or use a shortcut.
- Cake mix: Follow the directions to make cupcakes on a box of your favorite Devil’s Food cake.
- Gluten free cake mix: You can also use a box of gluten free mix. Many of these mixes only make 12 cupcakes, so you may want to bake two, or cut the frosting recipe in half.
- Homemade: Bake your favorite chocolate cupcakes. You can also use my Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes recipe, which is my personal favorite. Again, you might want to double this or only use half of the frosting.
- Healthy cupcakes: You can even be sneaky and make them a little healthier and gluten free with these black bean chocolate cupcakes.
- Premade: For the ultimate time-saving tip, ask the bakery or grocery store to set aside a couple dozen unfrosted cupcakes for you.
Fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting
Based on this light and airy Cloud Frosting recipe. The end result is so fluffy and soft it’s slightly unbelievable.
- Cream cheese: Makes it nice and tangy.
- Powdered sugar: Gotta make your frozting sweet.
- Vanilla extract: For that perfect flavor. I recommend pure extract versus artifical.
- Heavy cream: To make it creamy and light.
- Americolor Leaf Green Food Gel: The bolder color of a gel food coloring will ensure you achieve the perfect witches’ brew slimy green color.
Halloween cupcake decorations
Even though you don’t need special cake decorating skills, you do need some supplies.
- Be sure to use black cupcake liners so that they really look like a black cauldron.
- A piping bag with a Wilton 2A decorating tip is perfect to really load on that frosting and give it the bubbly look.
- That Americolor Leaf Green Food Gel is just the right potion color.
- The bubbly effect is achieved by using a variety of sizes of sprinkles and decorations, from green gumballs to green sugar pearls, and nonpareils. Or you can buy a pre-made lime green sprinkle mix. Note that the green nonpareils are NOT gluten free. The other ones were labeled as gluten free at the time of writing, but if that is a concern for you, please check the updated package and manufacturer information.
How to Make Hallowen Cupcakes
Bake the Cupcakes
Bake the cupcakes according to the instructions or recipe. Let them cool completely to room temperature.
Frost the Cupakes
Make the frosting by creaming the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar, then beating in the vanilla extract and heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Then blend in the food coloring, adding a little at a time until you achieve the desired color.
- TIME-SAVING TIP: No time to make frosting? Canned frosting would be fine to use, too.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip like the Wilton 2A. Pipe the frosting nice and high on the cupcakes to make it look like a potion is bubbling over.
Add Decorations
To create the bubbles, use a variety of sizes of sprinkles. The fun of these is you can really add as much or as few ‘bubbles’ as you want! You can also pile on the frosting to make it even MORE bubbly! Hmm..more frosting?? Ok!
Watch this little animation to get an idea!
Storing Cupcakes
These witches cauldron cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for a day or two.
For longer storage, place them in a container that can be covered but where they have enough room to avoid them hitting together or the top of the container so the frosting doesn’t get messed up. They will last for 4 or 5 days.
Due to the types of decorations, I do not recommend freezing the decorated cupcakes.
Witches Cauldron Halloween Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 24 chocolate cupcakes homemade or boxed mix, baked according to directions
- Green gumballs, large sprinkles, and edible balls
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Leaf Green Food Coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the cupcakes as according to the cake mix directions.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, prepare the frosting:
- In large mixing bowl cream together the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream.
- Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add to piping bag with Wilton 2A piping tip. Or use a large plastic bag with the tip cut off. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes into either a swirl or pile the frosting up to create more ‘bubbles’.
- Add the gumballs, or large sprinkles, then the smaller sprinkles to create a ‘bubbly’ appearance.
Did you make this?
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More Halloween recipes
Here are a few ideas, and you can also check out these 20+ Halloween Treats
- Jack O’Lantern Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers
- Bloody Maria Steak Bites
- Count Chocula Cereal Marshmallow Treats
- Monster Cereal Halloween Brownie Cookies
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed reading this post. big fan, thank you!
What a great idea. These are so festive! The pilled on “bubbles” is a great touch!
These are so awesome!