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Two Halloween witch hat cupcakes with more cupcakes in the background.
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Witch Hat Halloween Cupcakes

These halloween cupcakes will knock your guests' socks off but they're delicious too! The hats hide candy inside and the pumpkin cupcakes themselves are moist, fluffy, and richly spiced. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 18
Calories 300kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour 250g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
  • 2 tsp baking powder 8g
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 4g
  • 1 tsp ginger 2g
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg .25g
  • 1/4 tsp cloves .25g
  • 1/4 tsp allspice .25g
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1g
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 170g
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar 180g
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk 120ml
  • 1/2 cup butter 113g, unsalted, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream 60g
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom water 5mL
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 5mL

For the Cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 228g
  • 1 cups butter 226g, unsalted, room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder 75g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2.5g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL

For the Buttercream:

  • 1 lb confectioners sugar 500g
  • 1 cup butter 226g, unsalted, room temperature
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract 15mL
  • Black and green food coloring

For the Assembly:

  • 1 cup black candy melts 175g
  • 2.5 cups black sanding sugar 500g
  • 1 small waffle ice cream cones
  • Fondant
  • Candy eyes
  • Purple food coloring
  • Black food coloring
  • Gold leaf

Instructions

Instructions

    For the Cupcakes:

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake papers to a cupcake tin.
    • Sift the dry ingredients (except the brown sugar) together in a large bowl. Give a good whisk.
    • Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
    • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes on medium until creamy and combined.
    • Add the eggs into the stand mixer one at a time making sure each incorporated before adding the next.
    • Alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures to the mixer. Scrape down the bowl and beat until combined.
    • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the pumpkin is well incorporated.
    • Pour the batter into cupcakes papers.
    • Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until the centers are set.
    • Let them cool to room temperature.

    For the Cookies:

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated.
    • Add eggs, mix and scrape the sides of the bowl.
    • Add vanilla.
    • In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa and salt.
    • Add the flour mixture to the mixer. Mix at low speed until the dough is combined.
    • It’s ready when it sticks to the paddle attachment.
    • Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
    • Put on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    • Use a cookie cutter to cut out medium circles.
    • Bake for 8-12 minutes or until centers are set.
    • Let cool.

    For the Buttercream:

    • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter for about 5 minutes.
    • Beat in the sifted confectioners sugar.
    • Add the vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.
    • Divide the buttercream.
    • Dye one black and the other green.
    • Transfer the black to a piping bag fitted with a grass tip.
    • Transfer some of the green to bags fitted with a 125 tip and a large round tip.

    For the Assembly:

    • The assembly can be messy! Keep a pair of thin gloves nearby.
    • Melt the candy melts in a bowl.
    • Cover each ice cream cone in black candy melt.
    • Over a large bowl, cover the cone in black sanding sugar and pat down. The candy melts dry quickly so work fast!
    • Paint some candy melt on the rim of the ice cream cone. Attach it to a cookie.
    • Paint candy melt onto the exposed part of the cookie. Add black sanding sugar and brush off any excess.
    • Dye some fondant blue. Roll out and cut .5 inch strips for the band around the hat.
    • Roll out some plain white fondant. Cut squares for the buckles.
    • Paint some water onto the squares. Add gold leaf sheets and pat down to dry.
    • Attach the band the the bottom of the cone. Add the buckle to the middle.
    • Pipe a large dollop of green buttercream for witch head. With a 125 tip, pipe a long witch nose. Add candy eyes.
    • Add bangs and hair to the witch head. Attach the hats.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you're short on time then skip the hats. The witch's faces are pretty quick and easy to pipe.
    • I used an 808  or large round tip for the head and a 125 or petal tip for the nose. Hair was piped with a large grass tip.
    • When you're adding food coloring to the buttercream remember that it darkens after it sits out for a but so don't panic if the color isn't super-saturated right away.
    • Black sanding sugar is MESSY! So best to work over a baking pan and contain the chaos!
    • When working on the cookies pop them into the freezer to set quickly
    • If you can't find candy melt use chocolate! Just be careful not to burn it and remember that it takes longer to set.
    • I used gold leaf for the buckles but they could also be made from yellow fondant.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 117mg | Sugar: 17g