This year, I’ve been getting into the Halloween spirit by taking part in all the traditional holiday traditions: family costumes, pumpkin carving, and, of course, candy. These festive Gummy Mummies caught my eye for that reason. If there’s anything better than candy, it’s candy atop frosted cupcakes!
Halloween cupcakes
This is a case where I took a number of turns after reading the original recipe, and where I ended up was quite different from where I started. Most noticeably, I bypassed the mummy-themed topping. I actually bought some gum with the intent of turning them into mummies, but I anticipated it being a pain to do well and then wondered how practical they would be to eat. Instead, I garnished my Halloween cupcakes with some of my favorite candies: Reese’s Pieces and sour gummy worms.
Rather than using a boxed brownie mix, I decided to make mine from scratch using these cakey Buttermilk Brownies as inspiration. I halved the original recipe and baked it in a muffin tin with cupcake liners to make 12 cupcakes. Once again, since I like what I like, I couldn’t even follow that recipe exactly—I subbed in my go-to fluffy but intense chocolate ganache frosting. The combination is sweet without being cloying and decadent without being overly rich.
Halloween cupcakes Recipe
Topped with creepy crawlies and holiday-hued candy, the Halloween cupcakes were a hit with adults and kids alike. They were so popular, in fact, that I think they should become a new yearly tradition, just like our beloved carving sessions!
More Cupcake Recipes
RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
MINI VANILLA CAKE DOUGHNUTS WITH EASY CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup butter
- 2 ½ tblsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk or sour milk
- ¾ tsp vanilla
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Halloween candy, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine water, butter, and cocoa powder. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared muffin pan.
- Bake about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- As the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. Place chocolate in a shallow bowl. Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan over medium-high heat until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate and let sit one minute before stirring until smooth. Let cool to room temperature; you can speed up the process by moving to the fridge and stirring every few minutes. Add the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a whisk attachment until thick and fluffy.
- Once cupcakes are at room temperature, pipe with chocolate ganache frosting. Top with assorted candies.
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