Monster Cupcakes are soft vanilla cupcakes, topped with creamy green lightly spiced frosting, then decorated with chocolate sprinkles and salty pretzels.
These Frankenstein cupcakes can be made for the whole family to enjoy. They are easy to make and quite simple because they only require a few ingredients. It is perfect for Halloween! I love making fun Halloween cupcakes to celebrate the Holiday!
Enjoy these Frankenstein cupcakes with some friends and family, I know you will love them! You can even get your kids in the kitchen and allow them to help you make these fun and festive cupcakes.
Children will love being able to make their own individualized cupcakes. You could even play a fun game by having a decorating contest for who can make the spookiest cupcake! Now, I want to make these tasty handheld treats again just so my family can have a contest.
Can I use boxed cake mix for Frankenstein Cupcakes
Absolutely! You can make these Monster Cupcakes with boxed cake mix. There's no need to whip up a batch of homemade cake mix for these cupcakes if you do not want to go to the extra effort.
How do I store these Monster Cupcakes
Monster Cupcakes are best stored in a covered container at room temperature. If you live in a humid environment, I suggest storing them in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze these Frankenstein cupcakes
Yes! I love to make a batch of Monster Cupcakes, and then freeze the leftovers. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature and then enjoy within three days.
How do I the frosting to look pretty on these cupcakes
I get asked this question quite often. My suggestion is to pipe the frosting onto these cupcakes using a piping bag. When piping squeezing the piping bag gently and move in a circular motion. Be sure to not squeeze your piping bag too hard.
What kind of food coloring should I use for Halloween cupcakes
I like to use a food coloring gel, when I want a bolder coloring to my food. Liquid will also work, it will just require more. In the case of these Halloween cupcakes you will need green food coloring to make the monster frosting.
What do I need to decorate these cupcakes
To decorate these delicious cupcakes you will need the following items that can be found online or at your local craft store.
- Piping bag with large round piping tip or a zip top bag
- Large pretzel rods
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Candy eyes
Can I leave out the pumpkin spice of these Frankenstein Cupcakes
Yes, but if you do leave out the pumpkin spice, these cupcakes are plain vanilla and taste delicious.
What do I need to decorate these Monster Cupcakes
- Candy eyes
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Large pretzel rods (1 per cupcake) **Use small pretzel sticks for mini cupcakes
- Piping bag with large round piping tip or a zip top bag
Ingredients for Monster Cupcakes
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon vanilla
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 - ½ cups softened butter
- 2 cups vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon extremely hot water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Green food coloring
How to make Monster Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Fill a regular sized cupcake tin with plain white cupcake liners, set aside.
In a large bowl, add in all of the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Pour the vanilla into the hot water.
Add the oil, milk, and eggs and water/vanilla mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.
Use a measuring cup or spoon to scoop batter into each of the lined cupcake cavities. Only fill each cavity approx ½ - ⅔ the way full.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Check to see if they are cooked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into one of the cupcakes, if the toothpick pulls out without any raw batter (a few crumbs are OK) then the cakes are done.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Frosting Directions
While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the spiced vanilla frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy.
While the butter is whipping, add the pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt to the extremely hot water. Let this sit for 2-3 minutes.
When butter has been whipped, add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed. While it is mixing, stream in the water mixture.
Once combined, mix in the remaining powdered sugar, and whip until all is combined and light and fluffy.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Or you can use a zip top bag and snip off one of the bottom corners.
If the frosting is too soft to pipe, put in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool down.
Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Pipe a circle around the top of the cupcake, fill the middle of the circle. Pipe a second circle on top of the first, and fill the middle again. This will give you a bit of a cylindrical shape on top of the cupcakes.
Pour ½ cup of chocolate sprinkles into a small dish, turn each cupcake upside down and dip the cupcakes into the sprinkles gently pressing down until the frosting has flattened just a tiny bit (you are trying to give your Frankie a flat top head while leaving enough space for his bolts and eyes.)
Break off the ends of a large pretzel rod, about an inch on both ends, then stick the broken ends into the “neck” of the frosting (see pictures). Do this for each cupcake.
Add candy eyes to each Frankie.
Set finished cupcakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting set up or until ready to serve.
Tips
- This frosting is incredibly silky, light, and soft - it sets up to be firm once in the fridge. It is absolutely delightful, delicate with just a hint of pumpkin spice.
- The cupcakes are moist, and just a very beginner basic vanilla - they are super versatile, you could easily add a filling!
- This recipe makes a lot of cupcakes. It is perfect for big events - however it is also an easy recipe to cut in half to make smaller batches.
This recipe is perfect for anyone that loves cupcakes, especially the Halloween season. It's easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. This is a great dessert to serve at potlucks and gatherings.
The cupcakes are moist and come out of the oven looking as if they jumped straight from a horror film. The frosting is smooth, not too sweet, with just a hint of spice that gives it a ghoulish touch.
The chocolate sprinkles add the perfect final touch to these spooky treats. They look like patches covering Frankenstein's monster.
These cupcakes are a great option to bring in for a class. The recipe is easy and simple, leaving no mess behind.
More Delicious Halloween Recipes
Monster Cupcakes
Equipment
- mini muffin pan (with 6 or 24 holes)
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- piping bag or large resealable bag with corner cut off
- large round piping tip
- candy eyes
- pretzel rods
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
FROSTING
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 2 cups vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered or icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon extremely hot water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Green food coloring
Decorations and Special Tools
- Candy eyes amazon or party store
- Chocolate sprinkles amazon or local store
- Large pretzel rods 1 per cupcake **Use small pretzel sticks for mini cupcakes
- Piping bag with large round piping tip or a zip top bag piping bag kit from Amazon
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Fill a regular sized cupcake tin with plain white cupcake liners, set aside.
- In a large bowl, add in all of the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour the vanilla into the hot water.
- Add the oil, milk, and eggs and water/vanilla mixture to the dry ingredients.
- Mix until everything is combined.
- Use a measuring cup or spoon to scoop batter into each of the lined cupcake cavities. Only fill each cavity approx. ½ - ⅔ the way full.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Check to see if they are cooked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into one of the cupcakes, if the toothpick pulls out without any raw batter (a few crumbs are OK) then the cakes are done.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the spiced vanilla frosting.
Spiced Vanilla Frosting
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy.
- While the butter is whipping, add the pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt to the extremely hot water. Let this sit for 2-3 minutes.
- When butter has been whipped, add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed.
- While it is mixing, stream in the water mixture.
- Once combined, mix in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Whip until all is combined and light and fluffy.
- Add green food coloring and blend until incorporated. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Or you can use a resealable bag and snip off one of the bottom corners.
- If the frosting is too soft to pipe, put in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool down.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
- Pipe a circle around the top of the cupcake, fill the middle of the circle. Pipe a second circle on top of the first, and fill the middle again. This will give you a bit of a cylindrical shape on top of the cupcakes.
- Pour ½ cup of chocolate sprinkles into a small dish, turn each cupcake upside down.
- Dip the cupcakes into the sprinkles gently pressing down until the frosting has flattened just a tiny bit.
- You are trying to give your little mini Frankenstein or Frankie a flat top head while leaving enough space for his bolts (ears) and eyes.
- Add candy eyes to each Frankie.
- Break off the ends of a large pretzel rod, about an inch on both ends, then stick the broken ends into the “neck” of the frosting (see pictures). Do this for each cupcake.
- Set finished cupcakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting set up or until ready to serve.
- Enjoy every bite!
Notes
- This frosting is incredibly silky, light, and soft - it sets up to be firm once in the fridge. It is absolutely delightful, delicate with just a hint of pumpkin spice.
- The cupcakes are moist, and just a very beginner basic vanilla - they are super versatile, you could easily add a filling!
- They keep best in the fridge.
- This recipe makes a lot of cupcakes it is perfect for big events - however it is also an easy recipe to cut in half to make smaller batches.
Nutrition
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