Hocus Pocus Cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes topped with frosting that looks the Sanderson sisters. These fun Halloween cupcakes are sure to become a Halloween tradition!
Hocus Pocus cupcakes are homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with colored buttercream that looks like the Sanderson sisters’ hair. These fun Halloween cupcakes would make a great additional to your next movie night or Halloween party.
What you’ll need to make Hocus Pocus cupcakes
- Boiling water
- Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Espresso powder: The espresso powder is optional.
- All-purpose flour: To properly measure the flour, weigh it or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and then level. Avoid packing the flour.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk: Any type of milk from skim milk to whole milk will work. Using whole milk will give you softer, richer cupcakes. Nondairy milk, like almond milk, will also work.
- Large eggs
- Vegetable oil: Or a similar neutral oil.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt to taste.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Food coloring
How to make Hocus Pocus cupcakes
To make the cupcakes, first you’ll bake the cupcakes and them let them cool to room temperature. Then, you’ll make the frosting and decorate the cupcakes. Each step is broken into sections below.
Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake cake pans with paper liners.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set it aside.
Step 4: Whisk in the milk, eggs, and oil into the cooled cocoa mixture.
Step 5: Stir in the flour mixture just until it starts to become smooth. The batter will be thin.
Step 6: Fill the cupcake pan about ¾ full.
Step 7: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed down on. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
Buttercream
Step 1: In the bowl of your mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 5 minutes until the butter has become light and fluffy.
Step 2: Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add in the milk one tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed and mix for an additional 3 minutes.
Tip >> If the frosting isn’t thick enough, add stir in more powdered sugar. The frosting needs to be fairly stiff to pipe properly.
Step 4: Divide the buttercream into three separate bowls. Add enough food coloring to each bowl to get a vibrant color, so you end up with one bowl of orange, one bowl of yellow, and one bowl of purple.
Cupcake assembly
Step 1: Place each color of buttercream into a separate piping bag with a large star piping tip.
Step 2: On one-third of the cupcakes, pipe a swirl of the yellow buttercream by placing the piping tip in the middle of the cupcake and adding pressure to the bag. Swirl the bag around the cupcake, slowly making your way to the top.
Step 3: Pipe a swirl of orange buttercream on another third of the cupcakes, then pipe two mini swirls on the sides of the top of the buttercream.
Step 4: On the last third of the cupcakes, start by piping out a swirl of purple buttercream but keep piping at an angle while allowing the buttercream to begin to tip over.
Step 5: Sprinkle the cupcakes with edible glitter.
Recipe FAQs
Mixing cocoa powder and hot water together is called “blooming” it. Blooming helps to give the cupcakes richer chocolate flavor.
No, the espresso powder is optional. It helps to intensify the chocolate flavor, but it’s completely optional.
Gel food coloring usually works best. It tends to be more vibrant and doesn’t water down the frosting the way that other food coloring can.
No, the glitter is optional. You can find edible glitter in craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s or on Amazon.
Storage
Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cupcakes will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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Hocus Pocus Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2 12-cup muffin tins
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup boiling water
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour properly measured
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Vanilla buttercream
- 2 cups butter room temperature
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Yellow, orange, and purple food coloring
- Silver edible glitter
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake cake pans with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder, if using, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set it aside.
- Whisk in the milk, eggs, and oil into the cooled cocoa mixture. Stir in the flour mixture just until it starts to become smooth.
- Fill the cupcake pan about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed down on.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 5 minutes until the butter has become light and fluffy.
- Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Add in the milk one tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed and mix for an additional 3 minutes.
- Divide the buttercream into three separate bowls.
- Add enough food coloring to each bowl to get a vibrant color, so you end up with one bowl of orange, one bowl of yellow, and one bowl of purple.
Assembly
- Place each color of buttercream into a separate piping bag with a large star piping tip.
- On one-third of the cupcakes, pipe a swirl of the yellow buttercream by placing the piping tip in the middle of the cupcake and adding pressure to the bag.
- Swirl the bag around the cupcake, slowly making your way to the top.
- Pipe a swirl of orange buttercream on another third of the cupcakes, then pipe two mini swirls on the sides of the top of the buttercream.
- On the last third of the cupcakes, start by piping out a swirl of purple buttercream but keep piping at an angle while allowing the buttercream to begin to tip over.
- Sprinkle the cupcakes with edible glitter.
Notes
- Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Espresso powder: The espresso powder is optional.
- All-purpose flour: To properly measure the flour, weigh it or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and then level. Avoid packing the flour.
- Milk: Any type of milk from skim milk to whole milk will work. Using whole milk will give you softer, richer cupcakes. Nondairy milk, like almond milk, will also work.
- Vegetable oil: Or a similar neutral oil.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt to taste.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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