Moist and chocolatey witch’s cauldron cupcakes are secretly stuffed with a homemade orange “scream” filling and decorated with cute and creepy candies!
Witch’s Cauldron Cupcakes are perfect for your Halloween gatherings and parties. Whip up some Halloween Mason Jar Mini Cakes, Black And White Sugar Skull Cupcakes, and Fall Spritz Cookies to complete your festive party spread.
I love themed Halloween treats!
I love all of the fun Halloween candies, cookies and flavored drinks, they make it so fun!
I wanted to share one of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes with you that I’ve spruced up for Halloween. It’s been forever since I’ve made them, they’re just way too good not to bring them out of the archives!
This time I got a little creative and used TruMoo to put a yummy twist on them! I swapped out some of the water and buttermilk for TruMoo Chocolate Milk. It made them extra rich and chocolatey, mmm! I used some in the chocolate frosting too.
Because I’m totally in love with their Orange Scream Milk I stuffed these cupcakes with homemade orange “scream” (aka orange pastry cream). I think we can agree the orange chocolate combo is to die for!
Making Witch’s Cauldron Cupcakes
PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 18 liners, set aside.
CUPCAKE BATTER. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, chocolate milk, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla, whisk together until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
BAKE. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling โ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!
COOL. Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Filling + Decorating
CREAM FILLING. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, cook the flour and milk until a thick paste forms. Stir constantly! Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and press a piece of plastic over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Allow to cool completely. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl or a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add cooled flour/milk mixture and continue to beat for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Turn mixing speed off, add the salt and the vanilla extract.
Turn mixing speed on to low, then gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat for 2 minutes, then turn to low and add the chocolate milk. Turn the speed up and beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
VANILLA FROSTING. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Turn mixing speed off, add the salt, vanilla extract and food coloring.
Turn mixing speed on to low, then gradually add the powdered sugar.. Beat for 2 minutes, then turn to low and add the whole milk or cream. Turn the speed up and beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
DECORATE. Core if desired and pipe the pastry cream into the centers. Pipe a border of chocolate frosting around the top edges of the cupcakes. Then fill in the centers with the remaining green frosting.
I would suggest decorating each individual cupcake directly after piping the centers in- that way your frosting doesn’t set or harden.
Tips + Storage Info
These Witchโs Cauldron cupcakes are as tasty as they are absolutely adorable. Here are a few handy tips for putting them together:
- To make your own orange milk to be used in the filling add โ tsp of orange extract to ยฝ cup of whole milk and stir well.
- Make your own buttermilk using this recipe if you donโt have any on hand: Homemade Buttermilk
- Butter: It is recommended to use unsalted butter when making these cupcakes, if you donโt have any available make sure not to add the additional salt to your batter.
- Piping Hack: A Ziploc bag with a small snip at the corner can be used instead of a pastry bag for piping the filling and frostings in this recipe.
- Adding filling: A quick way to add the filling to these cupcakes is to use a pastry bag with a round tip. Simply push the round tip into the tops of the cupcakes and squeeze in your desired amount of filling.
STORE any leftover cupcakes covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or out on the countertop for up to 2-3 days.
It is best to FREEZE these cupcakes before they have been frosted. Allow cupcakes to cool completely and store them wrapped in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months.
Here are some more tasty fall cupcake recipes:
- Perfect Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Topped With Maple Buttered Pecans
- Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Witch Cauldron Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup TruMoo chocolate milk
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp butter - melted
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Orange Pastry Cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup TruMoo Orange Scream milk
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder - sifted
- 1.5-2 Tbsp TruMoo chocolate milk
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4-4 ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk or cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- green food coloring
Garnishes
- black licorice
- gummy worms
- candy eyes
- candy bones
- green sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 18 liners, set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, chocolate milk, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla, whisk together until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly among cups, filling โ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!
- Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the cream filling- in a small saucepan set over medium heat, cook the flour and milk until a thick paste forms. Stir constantly! Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and press a piece of plastic over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool completely. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl or a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add cooled flour/milk mixture and continue to beat for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- To prepare the chocolate frosting- in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Turn mixing speed off, add the salt and the vanilla extract. Turn mixing speed on to low, then gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat for 2 minutes, then turn to low and add the chocolate milk. Turn the speed up and beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- To prepare the vanilla frosting- in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Turn mixing speed off, add the salt, vanilla extract and food coloring. Turn mixing speed on to low, then gradually add the powdered sugar.. Beat for 2 minutes, then turn to low and add the whole milk or cream. Turn the speed up and beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- To assemble the cupcakes, (core if desired and pipe the pastry cream into the centers). Pipe a border of chocolate frosting around the top edges of the cupcakes. Then fill in the centers with the remaining green frosting. I would suggest decorating each individual cupcake directly after piping the centers in- that way your frosting doesn't set or harden. Store covered cupcakes at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Notes
-You can always use a boxed chocolate mix, just swap out the water for chocolate milk!
-The pastry cream is totally optional (you can omit it), as is the chocolate frosting. You can use vanilla frosting (dyed black) for the edge of the cauldron.
Natalie! These are absolutely adorable!
Halloween is my favorite holiday to bake for as well. Btw. I don’t know if you’ve read the Harry Potter series, but these cupcakes would be the way I imagine ‘cauldron cakes’ to look like!
P.S Love the addition of the chocolate milk, never thought to use it in place of buttermilk in chocolate cupcakes.
I totally need to keep reading. Honestly, I stopped at the first book ๐ Now that I have a little more free time I need to start again! Can’t wait to see what creations you come up with. I’ve got to try some of your recipes ASAP!
The Chocolate Milk substitute is GENIUS, woman! And these cupcakes are seriously the cutest things I’ve ever seen in the spookiest way possible. You’re making me so excited for Halloween!
Thanks Mandy ๐
These cupcakes are so cute
Thanks Chichi!
These are the absolute cutest!
These cupcakes are too cute! What a fun treat for Halloween ๐
Thanks Emily!
Natalie,
Love these cupcakes! Planning on making them for a halloween contest at work! Was something of you could tell me where you got the adorable purple cupcake stand?!
Thanks!
Hi Kaitlin! It was actually a candle stand that I found at a random store a few years ago!
Oh awesome! Would you have a recommendation for a substitute for the orange scream? Can’t find any in my area!
These are super cute, and I love the name. I confess Iโm not big on fall (bring on the hot weather lol) or Halloween, but these are great haha. Pinning!
LOL..thank you! Hope you will try them come Oct ๐
These cupcakes are so so cute and delicious. I’ll try it tonight for my chilren
Awe, thank you so much!! Hope they like them!
That’s so so amazing!. I saved this recipe on my wall. I have to make it for my son. Thanks for sharing a lot
You are so welcome! Hope he likes it!
This so cute and beautiful. These is my favorite food. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! Thank you so much!
So cute and perfect for Halloween!
Thank you! They are a go-to every year for us!