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 Monster Munch 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 ⅔ 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 Witch’s 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 ⅛ tsp of orange extract to ½ cup of whole milk and stir well.
- Make your own buttermilk using this recipe if you don’t have any on hand: Homemade Buttermilk
- Butter: It is recommended to use unsalted butter when making these cupcakes, if you don’t 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.
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
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup TruMoo chocolate milk
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp butter - melted
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Orange Pastry Cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup TruMoo Orange Scream milk
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - sifted
- 1.5-2 Tbsp TruMoo chocolate milk
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4-4 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- green food coloring
Garnishes
- black licorice laces
- 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 ⅔ 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.
These are too cute! Where can I find the black rope licorice? Can’t seem to find it anywhere! Thank you!
Hi Rachel, try calling a nearby cake decorating shop and ask for black licorice laces. If that doesn’t work, you can find it here on Amazon, but it is a little pricey because you have to buy 2 lbs. of it. Check the price here: https://amzn.to/3gS0xVZ
These were so fun to make and decorate with the kids, I loved that everyone could use their own creativity, also love that the cupcakes turned out super moist!
Delicious and fun to make is such a great combo.
Adorable! I just made them for my youngest birthday today! Love them.
Sounds like a fun birthday party!