Devil’s Food Cupcakes for Halloween

Our Devil’s Food cupcakes for Halloween are a slightly spooky and hugely delicious dessert. They are perfect to take to any get-together or for a sweet indulgence for yourself at home. They say this dessert got its name because it is so sinfully good!

We are going to give you step-by-step instructions to make the horns, the cupcakes, and the homemade frosting. It could not be easier!

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Jaw-Dropping Cupcakes for Halloween

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, we always look forward to Halloween. There is something magical about dressing up in a costume, visiting our neighbors for a treat, and coming home for well-earned snuggles.

If there is anything that comes close to being as much fun as a night out trick-or-treating, it would be making these jaw-dropping cupcakes for Halloween. I just love the easy-to-make horns, don’t you?

If you need time to gather your ingredients, bookmark this page to make it easier when you are ready to create your spooky Halloween cupcakes.

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Why These Cupcakes Are Perfect for Halloween

They are a show stopper but are easy to make. So many people will be asking for this recipe because the cupcakes are so stunning. Once they learn how simple the recipe is, it will be a no-brainer to make every year.

Many people are worried about using fondant. At least it was the first time I used it. But you have nothing to be worried about with these fondant horns. We walk you through each step, making it as easy as can be.

The kiddos can help. Even though this recipe looks professionally made, the kids can help with many of the steps. If you have older tweens and teens, they would have no trouble making these on their own.

The flavor is so rich and chocolatey, it is seriously irresistible. Devil’s Food has always been one of my favorite cakes, so I thought it would be perfect for these cupcakes. Boy was I right! They are absolutely phenomenal.

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Tips for Making Devil’s Food Cupcakes

• To help you achieve a very dark batter if you don’t have the black food coloring, we suggest adding dark chocolate cocoa powder to the batter. This will bring you close to that dark color.
• If you are in a hurry, you can freeze your freshly baked cupcakes for about 15 minutes. This way, you won’t have melted, clotted frosting for your cupcakes and you are ready in minutes.
• You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk if you want to give your cupcakes a slightly tangy flavor. This little trick is a really nice balance for the sweetness of the frosting.
• If you want to add to the rich, chocolate flavor of the cupcakes, you can add about 1/4 cup of brewed coffee that has been brought to room temperature. You would not believe how a little coffee can up your cupcake game!

Ingredients for Devil’s Food Cupcakes for Halloween

Below are the ingredients I used for this devil horn cupcakes recipe, but check your pantry and fridge before you head to the store. For information on using fondant, see the tips section above.

• Black fondant
• Toothpicks
• Powdered sugar
• Devil’s Food cake mix
• Whole milk
• Unsalted sweet cream butter softened
• Large eggs
• Black gel food coloring
• Red gel food coloring
• Pure vanilla extract
• Heavy whipping cream
• Purple sprinkle mix
• Red sprinkle mix
• Orange sprinkle mix
• Black sprinkle mix
• Large piping bag
• 1M piping tip
• Medium ice cream scoop

How to Make These Devil Horn Cupcakes

Each step of this recipe is detailed below so it’s easy to follow. Keep this page open while you are creating your Halloween cupcakes. If you would rather have a printable recipe, scroll down and select the print button.

Prep-Ahead for the Cupcakes and Frosting

• You can make the cupcakes up to 2 days before you serve them. Store them in an air-tight container on the counter in the coolest part of your kitchen. You can also freeze the cupcakes for up to 3 months in an air-tight container or a large Ziploc freezer bag. Be sure to defrost the frozen cupcakes before frosting them.
• Create the red buttercream frosting up to a week ahead. This can be stored in an air-tight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. You can freeze the frosting for up to 3 months in an air-tight container.

How to Make Halloween-Inspired Fondant Horns

• Pinch off about 2 teaspoons of black fondant and roll it into a ball.
• Dust your hands and the work surface with powdered sugar and mold the black fondant ball into a cylinder shape (like a snake).
• Make 1 pointed end and curve it into an upward position.
• Carefully push a toothpick about 2” into the thicker (bottom) side of the horn.
• Set aside overnight on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

How to Make Devil’s Food Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Mix the sprinkles together in a large bowl.

• Using a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs until combined and smooth.
• Beat in a black gel food coloring to create a black colored cupcake. Add more if needed until the desired color is achieved.
• Using a medium ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners 2/3 way full.
• Bake in the oven for 21 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely.

How To Make Frosting for the Devil’s Food Cupcakes

• Using an electric hand or standing mixer, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream until smooth, and forms stiff peaks.
• Beat in about 5-7 drops of red gel food coloring. Continue to mix until fully combined.  Mix in a few more drops of red food coloring until you achieve a blood-red frosting.
• Scoop about 2 cups of the red frosting into the piping bag.

How To Frost the Devil’s Food Cupcakes For Halloween

• Using the remaining red frosting in the main mixing bowl, scoop some frosting onto the top of each cupcake.
• Using a flat-angled icing spatula, smooth the top of the frosting.
• Carefully dip the frosted cupcakes into the sprinkles, coating the entire layer.

• Using the piping bag, pipe a medium-sized dollop in the center of the frosting.
• Carefully pick up the devil horns and place one on either side of the cupcakes

Notes for Making Halloween Cupcakes with Fondant

• A note for making the fondant horns in the devil cupcakes is to knead it before rolling it out. This will prevent it from drying out. But watch out for kneading it too much. As your hands get warmer, you can make the fondant too soft to hold its shape.
• You want a dusting of powdered sugar or cornstarch on your surface to keep the fondant from sticking and subsequently tearing. Make sure you only use a small amount on your surface or you can dry out the fondant.
• Take your time in rolling out and shaping your horns. This will give you a more consistent look among all your cupcakes.
• You can store your fondant in the fridge for up to three weeks. Be sure to let it come to room temperature before you begin working with it.

More Halloween Recipes You May Like

• Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies: If you happen upon a boxed cake mix, turn it into this decadent, easy dessert.
• Halloween Cupcakes – Easier Than They Look: These easy-to-make cupcakes are so wow-worthy but with minimal effort. We used our Lazy Girl’s Chocolate Cupcakes as a base and then used some cool Halloween-inspired sprinkles to decorate. We will even show you how to make a two-color swirled frosting.
• Not So Scary Halloween SVGs: We have put together a group of adorable SVG files that are family-friendly. They are perfect for cute shirts or trick-or-treat bags for the kids.
• No-Sew Witch Gnome: This little spooky lady is perfect for your Farmhouse-style Halloween decor. We just had to add her to the gnome collection we’ve created for you over the years.

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