If you're looking for a fun and festive Halloween treat these easy swirled Halloween cupcakes are perfect! Tall swirls of orange, green, and purple frosting make them a real eye-catcher. They're simple to make and deliciously moist, and the colorful swirls will add some spooky fun to your party.
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Tired of the same old pumpkin spice cupcakes? Mix things up this Halloween with these easy swirled cupcakes. Made with just a few simple ingredients, they’re sure to be a hit with both kids and adults.
These easy swirled Halloween cupcakes are the perfect treat for any Halloween party! The chocolate cupcakes are moist and rich, while the orange, green, and purple frosting is light and fluffy. Best of all, the three colors swirl together to create a spooky effect that is sure to impress your guests. To make these cupcakes, simply follow the recipe below.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Looking for a festive and easy Halloween treat? Look no further than these delicious swirled cupcakes! They're perfect for any Halloween party - and they're so easy to make. Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- The cupcakes are moist and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
- The orange, green, and purple icing is not only visually striking, but it's also delicious.
- These cupcakes are perfect for anyone - even if you're not a huge fan of Halloween!
So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and start baking! These cupcakes are sure to be a hit with everyone.
What You’ll Need To Make Easy Swirled Halloween Cupcakes
Chocolate Cupcakes
Unsalted butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter so that your cupcakes and frosting don’t end up too salty.
Sugar: You’ll need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar for this recipe.
Eggs: You’ll need one large egg for these delicious, fluffy cupcakes.
Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best flavor.
Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for these cupcakes.
Vegetable oil: You can use any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil or vegetable oil. This will help keep your cupcakes super moist.
Cocoa powder: Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate cupcakes.
Baking soda: This will help your cupcakes to rise.
Salt: Just a pinch of salt is needed to balance out the sweetness.
Buttermilk: You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then use as directed.
Vanilla American Buttercream
Unsalted butter: The butter is the base of the vanilla American buttercream and needs to be at room temperature so that it will cream properly.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is added to the buttercream for flavor. You can use any type of vanilla extract or even a vanilla bean paste. If you use real vanilla bean paste in this recipe it gives the buttercream a beautiful black speckle.
Salt: Salt is added to the buttercream to balance out the sweetness.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the buttercream.
Heavy cream: Heavy cream is added to the buttercream to thin it out and make it spreadable. You can also use whipping cream or even milk if you don’t have heavy cream available.
Orange, green, and purple food coloring: This is what will give your frosting the fun Halloween colors!
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these easy swirled Halloween cupcakes, simply follow the steps below.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 12-muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To make the vanilla American buttercream, cream together the butter and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined.
Add the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Divide the frosting evenly among 3 bowls.
Add orange food coloring to one bowl, green food coloring to another bowl, and purple food coloring to the last bowl. Mix each until desired color is reached.
Once you have the three frosting colors mixed, lay a square of cling wrap on the bench and spoon a line of each color side by side onto the plastic.
Roll the plastic up tightly and twist each end so that the frosting doesn't escape. Cut the twist off one end of the wrapped frosting and insert it into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip.
Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in a spiral motion, starting from the outside and working your way in.
Top with sprinkles or other Halloween candy, if desired.
How To Store Leftovers
Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze these cupcakes, either with the frosting or without. To freeze the cupcakes, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy a cupcake, simply thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make these cupcakes without food coloring?
A: Not really. The design of these cupcakes relies on their vivid swirls. If you don't use food coloring, your cupcakes will just be one color. However, you can switch up the colors and use natural products (e.g. blueberry powder for the purple) to color the frosting if you desire.
Q: Can I use a different type of frosting for these cupcakes?
A: You can, but American buttercream is best for this design. If you use a different type of frosting, it might not pipe as well or hold its shape as well when piped.
Q: Do I have to use a piping bag and tip to pipe the frosting?
A: You don't HAVE to, but it will give you the best results. You can spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes, but it won't be as neat or have as much definition.
Q: My cupcakes are sinking in the middle. What happened?
A: There are a few possible reasons for this. Either your oven wasn't hot enough, your cupcakes were overmixed, or you didn't use enough leavening agent. Be sure to follow the recipe closely and check your oven temperature to avoid this issue.
Q: Help! My cupcakes are dry and crumbly.
A: Again, this is usually caused by one of two things: overmixing or not enough moisture. Be sure to mix the batter just until combined, and don't forget the buttermilk!
Q: Why are my cupcakes taking longer to bake than the recipe says?
A: Every oven is different, so bake times will vary. Check your cupcakes at the low end of the bake time range to avoid overbaking.
Tools And Equipment For This Recipe
KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer: This mixer is perfect for making cupcakes and frosting. The paddle attachment beats the frosting to fluffy perfection and the tilt-head design makes it easy to add ingredients.
USA Pan Bakeware Muffin Pan: This 12-cavity muffin pan is perfect for baking cupcakes. It’s made with heavy gauge aluminum and has a non-stick coating for easy release.
Riccle Disposable Piping Bags 12 Inch: You’ll need a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I like to use disposable piping bags for easy clean-up, but you can also use a reusable bag.
Wilton 1M Piping Tip: This piping tip is perfect for piping buttercream frosting. It has a large star-shaped opening that creates beautiful swirls on cupcakes.
Halloween Cupcake Wrappers: These cupcake wrappers are perfect for Halloween! They’ll make your cupcakes look extra festive.
More Recipes You Might Like
📖 Recipe
Easy Swirled Halloween Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla American Buttercream
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 12-muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla American Buttercream
- Cream together the butter and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined.
- Add the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Divide the frosting evenly among 3 bowls. Add orange food coloring to one bowl, green food coloring to another bowl, and purple food coloring to the last bowl. Mix each until desired color is reached.
- Once you have the three frosting colors mixed, lay a square of cling wrap on the bench and spoon a line of each color side by side onto the plastic.
- Roll the plastic up tightly and twist each end so that the frosting doesn't escape. Cut the twist off one end of the wrapped frosting and insert it into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in a spiral motion, starting from the outside and working your way in.
- Top with sprinkles or other Halloween candy, if desired.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary based on brands of ingredients used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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