Cupcake recipes

Name: Day of the Dead Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 14
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 oz chocolate, mexican; 1/2 cup water, boiling; 1/3 cup cocoa powder, dark, not Dutch-processed; 1 cup flour, all purpose; 1/2 tsp salt; 3/4 tsp baking soda; 6 tbsp butter, unsalted; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla, mexican; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper , (optional); 3 sticks butter, unsalted, room temperature; 4 cups powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp milk; 1 tbsp vanilla; sprinkles; sugar skulls

Day of The Dead Cupcakes

September 28, 2021

Home » Desserts » Cupcake recipes

Celebrate Halloween with these chocolaty Day of the Dead cupcakes. Perfect for a Día de los Muertos party, these Mexican chocolate cupcakes are festive and delicious. With colorful sugar skull decorations and fun sprinkles, these cupcakes will be the hit of your Día de los Muertos fiesta! But, that’s not all. These delicious cupcakes have a unique ingredient, scroll down to find out what it is!

Day of the Dead Cupcakes on black background

For a Mexican-themed Halloween party, add these easy pumpkin empanadas to your menu!

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Sugar skull cupcakes

When I was thinking about this recipe, the one thing I knew I wanted to use was a colorful sugar skull as decoration. I found the perfect edible cupcake toppers for these day of the dead cupcakes and am absolutely enamored with them. They are full of color and they’re the exact size needed to top a standard cupcake.

Day of the dead desserts with sugar skull decorations and sprinkles.

Day of the dead cupcakes

Halloween is a fun time of year, lots of ghostly treats and goblin eats. I mean, all you have to do is say “trick or treat” and people give you candy. For FREE. That’s a holiday I can get behind.

I used this colorful sprinkle mix to decorate the cupcakes, then topped them with an edible sugar skull decoration.

What is Día de los Muertos?

Since the movie Coco came out, I think people have a better understanding that it is not the Mexican version of Halloween. It is a time to remember friends and family who have passed on. In Mexico, people go to the cemeteries to give the departed offerings of their favorite things.

Day of the dead cupcake with sugar skull decoration and flower

They’ll often leave food and drinks, candles, photos and little trinkets. It may sound a bit morbid, but it’s quite the opposite. It’s a celebration of life and it’s full of color, which is why I wanted to share these Day of the Dead cupcakes with you.

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

What makes Mexican chocolate different? It has cinnamon in it, which gives it a really nice flavor and makes these Mexican chocolate cupcakes extra delicious.

I remember a long time ago having chocolate in Mexico that had ground almonds in it as well. If you don’t have an allergy and you won’t be serving these to anyone with a nut allergy, a tablespoon of very finely ground almonds or a drop of almond extract would be great here.

Mexican chocolate is sold in round tablets that are scored in wedges (like a pie). Because it has sugar in the chocolate, you can melt it into hot milk for “instant” Mexican hot chocolate.

Day of the Dead cupcakes with sugar skull decorations and Mexican chocolate

Día de los Muertos cupcakes

Skulls are often decorated with marigolds, so I gave my cupcakes a little floral flair. Totally edible. All of it, even the flowers!

If you can’t find marigolds, nasturtiums are also edible or you can look for edible flowers in your local gourmet market.

Day of the dead cupcakes with flowers and sugar skulls

The flowers are of course optional, but I love how they look on this cupcake and they give it an authentic feel.

Day of the Dead recipes

If you are having a Día de los Muertos celebration, here are a few recipes to make your party auténtica!

• Atole – a thick, creamy drink made from corn. Add a bit of Mexican chocolate to turn it into champurrado
• Pan de Muerto – literally translates as “bread of the dead”
• Make your own Sugar Skulls – found all over Mexico during the month leading up to day of the dead

What can I serve with these day of the dead cupcakes?

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More cupcake recipes

Yield: 14 cupcakes

Day of the Dead Cupcakes

Day of the dead cupcakes are bright, colorful and so chocolaty.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

3 oz chocolate, mexican
1/2 cup water, boiling
1/3 cup cocoa powder, dark, not Dutch-processed
1 cup flour, all purpose
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla, mexican
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper , (optional)

Buttercream

3 sticks butter, unsalted, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla

Decorations

sprinkles
sugar skulls

Instructions

Make Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line cupcake pans with 14 papers.
In a small bowl, combine chocolate, cocoa powder and boiling water. Stir to melt and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, whisk to combine and set aside.
(add cayenne if using)
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
Add half of the flour mixture and beat just to combine.
Add half of the chocolate mixture and beat just to combine.
Repeat with remaining flour mixture and chocolate.
Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool on wire rack.

Make Buttercream

Combine butter and half of the powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat together until combined, then slowly add the remaining sugar. Add salt, milk and vanilla.
Beat for 4 - 5 minutes until very fluffy.

Decorate with sprinkles and edible sugar skulls.

Notes

Mexican chocolate substitute: to replicate the flavor of Mexican chocolate, use 3 oz of semi-sweet chocolate, plus 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and a drop of almond extract, if you have it.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes Apple Cider Buttercream

September 27, 2021

Home » Desserts » Cupcake recipes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Apple Cider Swiss Meringue Buttercream are full of flavor. Fresh apple cupcakes topped with soft, billowy apple cider buttercream make the perfect autumn treat.

Caramel apple cupcakes on clear glass dessert stand. — *Caramel apple cupcakes are the perfect dessert for fall parties*

If you are a fan of apple desserts, you are sure to love this cupcake. Filled with warm spices, like cinnamon, this cupcake is sweet without overdoing it.

The cupcakes are topped with a swirl of fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream flecked with an apple cider reduction. Hands down one of my favorite cupcakes of all time.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

While everyone is currently pumpkin-crazed, here I am in a corner with my apples. I like pumpkin as much as the next girl, but I feel like apple gets pushed out of the spotlight because of everything pumpkin-spiced.

Don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin, but fall apples are coming in and this is the time of year when they are at their peak and shouldn’t be missed.

I have had the idea for this recipe rolling around in my head for years. It’s one of those things that sounded like a great idea, but I wasn’t sure if I could really pull it off with the intense apple/caramel/cider flavors that I craved.

The combination had to taste like caramel apple cider when eaten all together, and it does! One of the best fall cupcake flavors I’ve ever had.

Caramel apple cupcake with caramel drizzle.

The apple buttercream is everything I hoped it would be. It balances the flavor of the cupcake perfectly.

Caramel Apple Cupcake Recipe

These toffee apple cupcakes do require a smidgen of effort. You already know that the majority of the recipes here are made from scratch. So, before we get into the recipe, let me say a few things.

To make these fresh apple cupcakes, you do need to sauté the apples and let them cool before adding them into the batter. This is something you can do the night before if you are short on time.

Melting caramels into the apple cider is necessary. It gives a much better flavor than tossing caramel bits or chips into the batter (believe me, I tried it).

Does it take a few extra minutes? Yes. Is it worth it? Hell yes. You will be richly rewarded for your effort. These caramel apple cupcakes are no joke. They take a little extra time, but man oh man, they are so dang good!

Procedure

Because there are a few elements to these cupcakes, I wanted to give you the steps in order.

The first thing you want to do is bring the butter to room temp. I usually set it on the counter the night before.

Next step is reducing the apple cider. This takes about 30 minutes, so put a small pot on the back burner and just let it cook down.

Then, get your apples cooked and cooled. While they are cooking, start pulling out your ingredients to measure for the cupcake batter.

Once the apple cupcakes are in the oven, start on the apple cider buttercream.

Apple cupcake with apple buttercream on clear glass tray.

How to make Swiss meringue buttercream

If you’ve never made Swiss meringue buttercream, you are in for a treat. It is the best frosting for cakes and cupcakes. It takes patience, so don’t rush through it.

Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved before taking it off of the stove.

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until glossy peaks. Then, start adding softened butter.

When adding the butter – add in small pieces, not big chunks. It needs to incorporate properly before adding in more. This does take time, but if you try to do it too quickly, you will be disappointed in the result.

The good news is – this is another thing you can make the night before. It will be fine overnight in a cool room-temp location.

When the apple cider buttercream is made and you are ready to frost the cupcakes, make sure they are completely cooled. Because there is quite a bit of butter in the frosting, if the cupcakes are a bit warm, it will melt.

FAQ’s

Here are a few helpful tips and tricks for success:

What should I do if my meringue is runny?

Refrigerate it. Odds are that it is too warm and the butter has melted. Once you cool it down and give the butter a chance to firm up again, it will be fine!

What do I do if my buttercream looks curdled?

Warm it up a bit! The butter is likely a little too cold and needs to be warmed up a couple of degrees. If it is just a little lumpy, I hold the bowl with my hands to warm it up. If it is really stiff and curdled looking, set it over the pot of simmering water for a few seconds, then continue whipping.

How to reduce apple cider

Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let it cook down for about 30 minutes until it is thick and syrupy. You should have roughly 2 tablespoons when it is done.

Cupcake Baking Tips

Piping lovely cupcakes didn’t happen overnight, it took practice, just like everything in life. If you are a beginner, don’t fret that they aren’t perfect, just keep at it.

I used an open star piping tip for these cupcakes. It is my FAVORITE. I use it on most of the cupcakes I make. Fill your piping bag and practice on a plate for a few minutes to get the feel of it, then scoop that buttercream back into the bag and frost the cupcakes.

Something that I do religiously is measure out all of my ingredients before I begin. I mean everything, down to the salt. That way, I know that I actually have everything I need and also, it makes the baking process go much smoother when I’m in the middle of it.

It is also a big timesaver when you prep ingredients beforehand. Because the ingredients were measured carefully, the butter has been softened, I have everything ready to go; when it’s time to bake, it’s a snap.

Lastly, use a scoop. Why use a scoop? All of the cupcakes will be uniform in size, nothing will spill over and no more sad half-filled cupcake that no one wants.

How to drizzle caramel on apple cupcakes

I used a small whisk to drizzle the caramel on these apple cupcakes. The key is to let some of it run off of the whisk before you start to drizzle.

How to drizzle caramel on cupcakes with a whisk.

If you have too much on the whisk (or spoon), it will look like globs of caramel instead of a drizzle. Practice on a cupcake or two to get the feel of it.

Then, it is simply a matter of quickly flicking your wrist back and forth over the apple cupcake and the caramel will fall in thin ribbons.

These cupcakes will be the hit of your fall parties. You really must make them, they are so very tasty!

How to store frosted cupcakes

These caramel apple cupcakes can sit at a cool room temperature. If it is warm, it’s best to refrigerate.

If you need to store these cupcakes for a few days, place in the fridge. They will need to be taken out roughly 30 minutes before being served for the frosting to soften. Remember there is a lot of butter and it will harden when refrigerated.

They can also be frozen, however, you’ll need to take them out a couple of hours before serving.

More cupcake recipes

Cupcake lover should check out these recipes too!

Shop This Recipe:

Muffin/Cupcake Pan – I like this one because of the wide edges. It is easy to grab without sticking the thumb of your oven glove into a cupcake.
Disposable piping bags – they come in handy for so many uses.
Piping tip set – This basic set contains the ones you will use most often.
Red Gingham Cupcake Papers

Your shares help this site to grow. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting. I love hearing from you! Did you make these caramel apple cupcakes? Tag me on Instagram @pookspantry or share it in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group! I can’t wait to see your version!

Yield: 16