Description
Celebrate Halloween with these delightful Pumpkin Spice Pudding Halloween Cupcakes. Moist and flavorful pumpkin spice cupcakes are topped with a glossy black candy melt coating, colorful sprinkles, and charming yellow candy moon decorations for a festive touch. Perfect for parties or a spooky treat!
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4 ounce) pumpkin spice pudding mix
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup apple cider
Moon Decorations
- Black candy melts (quantity as needed for dipping)
- Yellow candy melts (quantity as needed for moons)
- Yellow sugar sprinkles (for decorating moons)
- Colored sugar sprinkles (for cupcake topping)
- Small lollipop sticks or cupcake picks (for moon handles)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare cupcake liners: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 24 cupcake wells with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and pumpkin spice pudding mix. Whisk together thoroughly to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Add wet ingredients and mix: Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and apple cider to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until the batter is well combined, smooth, and creamy.
- Fill cupcake liners: Using a spoon or scoop, fill each cupcake liner about three-quarters full with the batter to allow room for rising during baking.
- Bake cupcakes: Place the cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once done, remove from oven and cool cupcakes on a wire rack completely before decorating.
- Prepare moons template: Measure your small lollipop stick or cupcake pick to decide the size of your moon decorations. Use a biscuit cutter or round template to trace circles on parchment paper. Flip the parchment over so the drawn side is down, then tape it onto a cookie sheet.
- Melt yellow candy melts: Melt yellow candy melts according to package instructions. Transfer the melted candy into a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off to use as a piping tool.
- Create moon shapes: Pipe the melted yellow candy along the traced circle lines on the parchment paper. Fill in the outlined area to form solid moons. Sprinkle yellow sugar sprinkles on top to smooth out imperfections and add texture. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden the moons.
- Attach sticks to moons: Remove moons from the freezer and shake off any excess sugar sprinkles. Turn the moons over on the parchment. Dip the end of a small lollipop stick into melted yellow candy and lay it diagonally in the center on the back side of each moon to create a handle. Freeze again for 10 minutes until set.
- Melt black candy melts for dipping: Melt black candy melts according to package instructions, ensuring smooth consistency for dipping.
- Decorate cupcakes: Dip the top of each cooled cupcake into the melted black candy, immediately coat with colored sugar sprinkles to capture the coating before it hardens. Quickly press the prepared yellow candy moon on top and add the cat cupcake pick or lollipop stick decoration.
Notes
- It is very important to add the moon decoration immediately after dipping the cupcake in melted candy and sprinkling; if you wait too long, the candy will harden and make it impossible to attach the moons.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before dipping to prevent melting the black candy coating.
- You can substitute apple cider with pumpkin puree or milk for a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate to extend freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
