Dark Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes with M&Ms
There’s been plenty of baking happening around here lately. Our 3-month-old daughter is sleeping really well, which means I’ve been enjoying little pockets of time in the kitchen during maternity leave. I’m making the most of it while it lasts! And with a craving for chocolate, cupcakes seemed like a very good use of nap time.
We had family over this weekend, and I wanted to bake something chocolatey and indulgent with a little Halloween fun thrown in. These dark chocolate cupcakes with buttercream and orange M&Ms were the result, and I’m already looking for an excuse to bake another batch.
The orange M&Ms keep the decorating nice and simple, but if you feel like giving your cupcakes a little more spook, try my Halloween Oreo bat cupcakes. And for those who love getting out the cookie cutters and piping bags, my Halloween sugar cookies leave plenty of room for spooky creativity.
Chocolate + Coffee = Magic
These chocolate Halloween cupcakes are moist and fluffy, with a rich chocolate flavor. There’s a little coffee in both the batter and the buttercream, and I really recommend keeping it in, even if you’re not a coffee drinker. You won’t taste the coffee itself, but it brings out the chocolate flavor beautifully.
These cupcakes keep well for several days, and you can freeze them without the buttercream and decorations. Handy if you want to get the baking done before the Halloween preparations take over!
How to Decorate Halloween Cupcakes
First things first: Let the chocolate cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before adding the buttercream. Even a slightly warm cupcake can melt your carefully piped swirl, so this is one step you don’t want to rush.
I used a Wilton 2D tip to pipe a classic swirl, then added orange M&Ms for a simple Halloween finish. Nothing complicated, just chocolate buttercream and a little pop of orange. The kids loved them!
A few tips to help you along:
- Bake in a muffin pan. It supports the cupcake liners and helps the cupcakes hold their shape as they bake.
- Make the buttercream ahead if needed. Store it in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature and whip it again before piping.
- Add the M&Ms shortly before serving. Their candy coating can lose some of its color in the fridge.
- Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Save the buttercream and decorations for after they’ve thawed.
These cupcakes went down very well with our guests, and luckily we had a few left for the next day. They tasted just as good, which I was more than happy to confirm. If you want Halloween cupcakes that are easy to decorate and properly chocolatey, give these a try!
More Delicious Halloween Recipes
Recipe
Chocolate and M&Ms Halloween Cupcakes
Time: 2 hours 
Difficulty: Beginner
Yield: 16 cupcakesUdstyr
- Muffin pan
- Three-tier oven rack
- Piping bags
- Wilton 2D piping tip
Ingredients
Chocolate Muffins:
- 100 ml coffee (cold)
- 1 eggs
- 250 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml buttermilk*
- 100 ml vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Dark Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1/2 batch of my dark chocolate buttercream recipe
To Decorate:
- Orange M&Ms
Instructions
Chocolate Muffins:
- Brew the coffee and let it cool completely to room temperature.100 ml coffee
- Add eggs and granulated sugar to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the buttermilk and neutral oil and beat briefly to combine.1 eggs, 250 g granulated sugar, 100 ml buttermilk*, 100 ml vegetable oil
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Sift the all-purpose flour mixture into the egg mixture (this keeps the cakes light and fluffy) and stir together with a wooden spoon.150 g all-purpose flour, 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla
- Add cold coffee and stir until you have a smooth, fairly thin batter.
- Divide the batter among 14-16 muffin liners in a muffin pan. Fill the liners 2/3 full.
- Bake at 180 °C (356 °F) for 20-22 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dark Chocolate Buttercream and Decorating:
- Make a half batch of my Dark Chocolate Buttercream recipe and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a tip. I used a Wilton 2D tip in the photos. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate with orange M&Ms.1/2 batch of my dark chocolate buttercream recipe, Orange M&Ms
