Witch Hat Halloween Cupcakes
These halloween cupcakes will knock your guests' socks off but they're delicious too! The hats hide candy inside and the pumpkin cupcakes themselves are moist, fluffy, and richly spiced.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 18 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups all purpose flour (250g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (3g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (4g)
- 1 tsp ginger (2g)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (.25g)
- 1/4 tsp cloves (.25g)
- 1/4 tsp allspice (.25g)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt (1g)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (170g)
- 1 1/3 cups brown sugar (180g)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml)
- 1/2 cup butter (113g, unsalted, room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (60g)
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (5mL)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (5mL)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (228g)
- 1 cups butter (226g, unsalted, room temperature)
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cups cocoa powder (75g)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (2.5g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5mL)
- 1 lb confectioners sugar (500g)
- 1 cup butter (226g, unsalted, room temperature)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract (15mL)
- Black and green food coloring
- 1 cup black candy melts (175g)
- 2.5 cups black sanding sugar (500g)
- 1 small waffle ice cream cones
- Fondant
- Candy eyes
- Purple food coloring
- Black food coloring
- Gold leaf
Instructions
- 1
For the Cupcakes:
- 2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake papers to a cupcake tin.
- 3
Sift the dry ingredients (except the brown sugar) together in a large bowl. Give a good whisk.
- 4
Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- 5
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes on medium until creamy and combined.
- 6
Add the eggs into the stand mixer one at a time making sure each incorporated before adding the next.
- 7
Alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures to the mixer. Scrape down the bowl and beat until combined.
- 8
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the pumpkin is well incorporated.
- 9
Pour the batter into cupcakes papers.
- 10
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until the centers are set.
- 11
Let them cool to room temperature.
- 12
For the Cookies:
- 13
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 14
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated.
- 15
Add eggs, mix and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- 16
Add vanilla.
- 17
In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa and salt.
- 18
Add the flour mixture to the mixer. Mix at low speed until the dough is combined.
- 19
It’s ready when it sticks to the paddle attachment.
- 20
Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
- 21
Put on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- 22
Use a cookie cutter to cut out medium circles.
- 23
Bake for 8-12 minutes or until centers are set.
- 24
Let cool.
- 25
For the Buttercream:
- 26
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter for about 5 minutes.
- 27
Beat in the sifted confectioners sugar.
- 28
Add the vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.
- 29
Divide the buttercream.
- 30
Dye one black and the other green.
- 31
Transfer the black to a piping bag fitted with a grass tip.
- 32
Transfer some of the green to bags fitted with a 125 tip and a large round tip.
- 33
For the Assembly:
- 34
The assembly can be messy! Keep a pair of thin gloves nearby.
- 35
Melt the candy melts in a bowl.
- 36
Cover each ice cream cone in black candy melt.
- 37
Over a large bowl, cover the cone in black sanding sugar and pat down. The candy melts dry quickly so work fast!
- 38
Paint some candy melt on the rim of the ice cream cone. Attach it to a cookie.
- 39
Paint candy melt onto the exposed part of the cookie. Add black sanding sugar and brush off any excess.
- 40
Dye some fondant blue. Roll out and cut .5 inch strips for the band around the hat.
- 41
Roll out some plain white fondant. Cut squares for the buckles.
- 42
Paint some water onto the squares. Add gold leaf sheets and pat down to dry.
- 43
Attach the band the the bottom of the cone. Add the buckle to the middle.
- 44
Pipe a large dollop of green buttercream for witch head. With a 125 tip, pipe a long witch nose. Add candy eyes.
- 45
Add bangs and hair to the witch head. Attach the hats.