These Halloween Monster Cupcakes are a scream! Serve these adorable little Frankenstein monsters at your next spooky party or event to wow (or scare) your guests. The frosting has a wonderful pumpkin spice flavor to make them even more fall-themed.
Jump to:
I may not have many Halloween parties these days, but I still love these Frankenstein cupcakes. You are free to decorate them however you choose, but still enjoy a moist cupcake from scratch with a luxurious buttercream on top. I promise that no one you share this recipe with will be disappointed.
If you are searching for even more fun Halloween treats, I highly recommend these vampire donuts and these witch hat cookies. My ghost cupcakes are really good too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's made from scratch: Both the cupcake and the green frosting are completely homemade. It's a very basic vanilla cupcake with a pumpkin-spiced frosting. It's fall-inspired to make the Halloween theme.
- It's easy to customize: You can switch up ingredients and colors used easily to change the flavor or the look of your monster cupcake.
- It's a crowd favorite: Everyone loves these sweet little Frankenstein cupcakes! Not only are they adorable, but the cupcake is tender, and the frosting has the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming.
Ingredients
The key ingredients needed to make successful Frankenstein monster cupcakes are listed below. There are particular items that I don't usually use in homemade cupcakes.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works great for these cupcakes, but you can try this recipe with your favorite gluten-free blend if you prefer. I recommend using a scale to measure the flour or ensuring it's properly leveled because it's easy to add too much flour.
- Hot water: I use hot water in this cupcake batter to help activate the leavening agents quickly, as well as to dissolve the sugar for a smoother batter. I find it helps achieve perfectly moist cupcakes every time. Some goes into the frosting as well to keep it smooth.
- Vegetable shortening: I like to use some shortening in the frosting as opposed to all butter because it makes it lighter and easier to color. Plus, it holds up better for decorating.
- Pumpkin spice: The pumpkin pie spice gives the frosting warm, fall flavors. It has hints of cinnamon, ginger, and more. Feel free to use just cinnamon, a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg, or whatever you like.
- Food coloring: I use a simple green food coloring for the frosting. I don't use a lot, so I keep it a lighter green; therefore, gel or liquid is fine since it's not enough to change the consistency.
- Decorations: You'll need chocolate sprinkles for Frankie's hair, pretzel rods for the bolts, and candy eyes.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Chocolate cupcakes: Add some cocoa powder to the cake batter to make them extra rich.
- Different colored monsters: Try blue, purple, or any color you want for a fun monster variation.
- Apple pie spiced frosting: Swap the pumpkin pie spice for apple pie spice for a subtle apple cinnamon flavor.
How to Make Monster Cupcakes
Here are the steps needed to prepare, bake, and decorate these cute green monster cakes. Preheat your oven to 325°F and combine the vanilla extract with hot water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until they're combined.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Add eggs, vanilla mixture, and oil to the dry ingredient mixture. Then, mix until it's smooth.
Step 3: Scoop and bake. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners and fill them about ½ to ⅔ full. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Start the frosting. Add the butter and shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 5: Beat until smooth. Beat the ingredients until they are well combined and smooth.
Step 6: Add remaining ingredients. Next, add the powdered sugar and the remaining frosting ingredients.
Step 7: Whip until fluffy. Mix with the stand mixer until it's perfectly fluffy.
Step 8: Color and pipe. Add in the green color and use a piping bag to pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Step 9: Add sprinkles. Dip the top of the frosting into the chocolate sprinkles, gently flattening the top of Frankie's head.
Step 10: Decorate and enjoy. Add the candy eyes and pretzel bolts to each cupcake and let them set for about 30 minutes in the fridge before you serve them.
Recipe Tips
- Make your own piping bag: If you don't have a piping bag, you can make your own. Scoop the frosting into a Ziploc bag and snip off the corner for a diy version.
- Don't overmix the cake batter: Overmixing the batter can lead to dense, tough cupcakes. I only stir it until the ingredients are just combined.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Leave your eggs out on the counter for about 30 minutes to get them to room temperature. This is another way to ensure a smooth, lump-free cupcake batter.
These cookie monster cookies and this monster cookie ice cream are other monster treats that you can make for dessert.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You may freeze the cupcakes without frosting for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare your monster cupcakes a few hours in advance if you're serving them at a party and keep them in the refrigerator until you need them.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy some spooky appetizers with your monster cupcakes. These mummy chicken bacon ranch pizzas and spider donuts are great for this.
- Prepare some simple snack mixes for your party guests, like this peanut butter Chex mix and cheddar Chex mix.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can for up to 24 hours. The frosting holds up better refrigerated if you plan to keep them longer.
If you add too much water, overmix it, or if the butter is too warm, the frosting can become thin. Add a little bit more powdered sugar and let it sit in the refrigerator to firm up a bit before you pipe it onto the cupcakes.
The Halloween monster cupcakes need to cool completely before you add the frosting. If they're too warm, the frosting will melt and slide off the top.
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
Do you like cupcake recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Monster Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting
- 1 - ½ cups softened butter
- 2 cups vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons extremely hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Green food coloring
Decore
- Candy eyes
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Large pretzel rods 1 per cupcake **Use small pretzel sticks for mini cupcakes
Instructions
- 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.
- 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 the 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.
- 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 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.
- Serve same-day, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Store any extra monster cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You may store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- If you don't have a piping bag, make your own out of a Ziploc bag.
Nutrition
This post was originally published, 8/14/21. It's been updated with new content and images.
Leave a Reply