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Candy Corn Cupcakes for a Happy Halloween

If you love delicious Halloween treats, you’re going to love these candy corn cupcakes! Easy to make and the whole family loves them.

Candy corn cupcakes

Candy corn is so controversial during the holidays! You either love it or hate it – kind of like Peeps during Easter. People have very strong feelings about candy corn that they are not afraid to voice. And I totally get it.

If you like Halloween desserts, I’m very curious if you like candy corn as part of them! Either way, I’ve got a great recipe for you today: candy corn cupcakes!

These Halloween cupcakes are great because honestly – it doesn’t matter if you like candy corn or not. Because there is no candy corn in the recipe . . . only topped on the cupcakes if you so choose.

The reason they are called “candy corn cupcakes” is because of the colors of icing you’re going to use while making them: the typical orange, yellow, and white you would expect to see to represent the holiday.

Candy corn cupcakes feature image

The idea behind this cupcake recipe is very simple. You will make basic vanilla cupcakes using a deliciously basic recipe, then you’re going to make a buttercream frosting. You will divide the frosting into three bowls, and color it using food coloring.

Then you’re going to add the icing to the tops of the cupcakes with piping bags and tips, and finally put some candy corn accents on top. I believe Emeril Lagasse said it best? Boom.

I think my favorite thing about these cupcakes is that they are cute but not complicated. Everyone is going to love them – there aren’t any fancy flavors that will upset your finicky eaters. A cupcake is a cupcake, and these are delicious! Get the awesome Halloween dessert recipe below.

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup whole mil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Candy corn – 24 (about 2 per cupcake)

For the Vanilla Buttercream

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Yellow and orange food coloring

Equipment Notes

Candy corn cupcake with a bite out of it

Get the printable recipe for these cupcakes below:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Candy corn cupcakes feature image

Make candy corn themed cupcakes for Halloween using this simple recipe. Everyone is going to love this easy to make holiday dessert.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Yellow and orange food coloring

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and fill a large muffin tin with cupcake liners.Preheating the oven
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder.Flour, sugar, and baking powder whisked together in a bowl
  3. In the mixer, whisk together vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla.Vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla whisked together in a bowl
  4. Gently add in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined, meaning no pockets of dry ingredients remain in the cupcake batter.Vanilla cupcake batter in a bowl
  5. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake pans. Bake for 16 minutes. Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.Cupcake batter in a cupcake pan
  6. To make the frosting, add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed about 1 minute.Butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and food coloring
  7. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer to medium high speed and beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.vanilla buttercream icing mixed in a bowl
  8. Divide the frosting in thirds and place one third of the icing in a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
  9. Place another third of the frosting in a small bowl and add 2 - 3 drops of bright yellow food coloring. Mix to combine and transfer the frosting to a piping bag.
  10. Add 2 - 3 drops of bright orange food coloring to the last third of frosting and mix to combine. Transfer to a piping bag.
  11. Pipe a small ring of yellow frosting around the top of each cupcake. Then top the yellow with a slightly smaller circle of orange. Finally, top each cupcake with a peak of white frosting to create a triangle shape.Plain vanilla cupcakes with orange, yellow, and white icing bags
  12. Top each cupcake with a few candy corn if desired.Hand grabbing a Halloween cupcake

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cupcake

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 3g

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If you enjoyed these candy corn cupcakes, let me know in the comments! I’d love for you to check out these other Halloween desserts:

Bat CookiesCandy Corn Cake BarsCookie Crunch Candy Corn Halloween BarkHalloween Cookie PizzaHalloween CookiesHalloween M&M CookiesHalloween Monkey BreadHalloween Whoopie PiesMummy CookiesMummy TrufflesOwl CupcakesPopcorn Balls

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