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Ready to wow at the next Halloween party? These Frankenstein cupcakes are not only easy to make when you follow my step-by-step guide below, but these rich, moist chocolate cupcakes with homemade frosting taste just as good as they look!
These easy Frankenstein Cupcakes make perfect Halloween treats!
Frankenstein cupcakes are the ultimate cute Halloween treat! Your friends, family and party guests will be so impressed, they might start trying to order custom cupcakes from you!
Then you can tell them just how easy it was to create a perfect Frankenstein face on the top of each cupcake when you follow my easy steps below. No need to be a pro baker to make cute Frankenstein cupcake toppers!
Keep reading for my step-by-step guide and tips!
Why You’ll Love These Frankenstein Cupcakes
- Perfect for Halloween parties
- Kids love these fun Frankenstein cupcakes!
- Easy to make
- Moist chocolate cupcake with delicious homemade frosting
What You’ll Need for Frankenstein Cupcakes
These cute Frankenstein cupcakes come together with some basic ingredients and then some extras to make that perfect Frankenstein look!
Chocolate Cupcakes
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa powder: natural unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder
- Instant coffee granules: such as Folger’s (optional)
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: be sure to leave time to let butter reach room temperature!
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Hot tap water
Frosting
- Unsalted butter: be sure to leave time to let butter reach room temperature!
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or heavy cream: if frosting becomes too thick
Extras
- Candy eyeballs
- Piping bag
- Wilton 4 piping tip
- Green and black gel food coloring
- Red jimmie sprinkles or red frosting
- Black jimmie sprinkles
- Pretzel sticks
How to Make this Frankenstein Cupcakes Recipe
While these cupcakes look impressive, they are easy to make! It starts with my chocolate cupcake recipe and is then topped with a yummy homemade frosting, dyed two different colors to decorate that cute Frankenstein face, complete chocolate jimmy sprinkles for Frankenstein’s hair, red sprinkles for his cut, and pretzels for the neck bolts.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs, beat again for 30 seconds.
- Combine all ingredients. Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Bake. Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- Mix butter and vanilla. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add sugar. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
- Add food coloring. If you want to add food coloring, do so now.
- Taste and adjust as needed. Taste as needed to determine if you want more powdered sugar. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a dash of milk or heavy cream.
- Optional: If you want an extra fluffy frosting, add in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream when adding the last bit of powdered sugar. Whip for 3-4 minutes.
Assemble
- Prepare black frosting. Remove ½ cup frosting and dye that frosting black. You can also use store bought black frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fit with a Wilton 4 tip.
- Prepare green frosting. Dye the remaining frosting green.
- Start decorating. Spread a generous amount of green frosting on top of the cupcake. Use a paper towel to cover the bottom ⅔ of the cupcake, then sprinkle black jimmie sprinkles on, this is Frankenstein’s hair. Remove the paper towel.
- Add more details. Add 2 candy eyeballs. Using the black frosting, draw a straight line above the eyes for eyebrows and draw a squiggly line for the mouth.
- Finish decorating. Use the red sprinkles to add Frankenstein’s cut. Then break the pretzel stick into smaller pieces and place a piece on both sides of the cupcake for Frankenstein’s bolts. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Storing & Freezing Suggestions
Due to the frosting and decorations, these Halloween cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made. If necessary, they can be stored in a covered container on the counter for up to 2 days.
If you want to make them in advance, I recommend baking the cupcakes a day or two ahead and just adding the frosting and decorations soon before serving.
Looking for more Halloween Cupcake ideas?
Check out all of these fun and easy Halloween cupcakes!
- Mummy Cupcakes
- Witch Hat Cupcakes
- Eyeball Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
- Spider Web Cupcakes
- Ghost Cupcakes
- Spider Cupcakes
More Halloween Recipes
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Frankenstein Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 240 grams
- ¾ cup cocoa powder, natural unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder, 63 grams
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules such as Folger’s, optional
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot tap water
Frosting
- 3 sticks sticks unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- dash milk or heavy cream if frosting becomes too thick
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs, beat again for 30 seconds.
- Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
- If you want to add food coloring, do so now.
- Taste as needed to determine if you want more powdered sugar. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a dash of milk or heavy cream.
- If you want an extra fluffy frosting, add in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream when adding the last bit of powdered sugar. Whip for 3-4 minutes.
Assemble
- Remove ½ cup frosting and dye that frosting black. You can also use store bought black frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fit with a Wilton 4 tip.
- Dye the remaining frosting green.
- Spread a generous amount of green frosting on top of the cupcake. Use a paper towel to cover the bottom ⅔ of the cupcake, then sprinkle black jimmie sprinkles on, this is Frankenstein’s hair. Remove the paper towel.
- Add 2 candy eyeballs. Using the black frosting, draw a straight line above the eyes for eyebrows and draw a squiggly line for the mouth.
- Use the red sprinkles to add Frankenstein’s cut. Then break the pretzel stick into smaller pieces and place a piece on both sides of the cupcake for Frankenstein’s bolts. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
