Simple Candy Corn Cupcakes Recipe

There's no better way to get into the fall mood than by eating candy corn and enjoying things that are colored orange and yellow. These wonderful candy corn cupcakes combine the taste of moist cupcakes with the look of fall candy corn, and the result is nothing short of perfection — as is the taste! We should also mention that the cupcakes are topped with buttercream frosting and a little candy corn for decoration, and they're so cute and festive. These are great for people of all ages, and they are especially great for all of those who have a sweet tooth. 

Recipe developer Jessica Morone is a pro when it comes to baking, and she absolutely nailed this recipe. "My favorite thing about this recipe is how cute and festive these cupcakes are. They are great for Halloween," Morone raves. We love that you can serve these at many different events, and just looking at them is enough to put a smile on one's face. Keep reading to find out how to make these wonderful and sweet cupcakes.

Like any other recipe, the first step in the process is gathering all of the necessary ingredients to put this dessert together. There are only a few things you need, which makes your trip to the store a piece of cake (or cupcake, in this case). 

Start with a box of white cake mix and three eggs. Next, grab some vegetable oil. You will also need water, but luckily, you should have it at home already. Moving down the list, be sure to get yellow and red food coloring. The recipe also calls for unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. The last two things needed are milk and candy corn. Then, you're ready to begin this sweet baking adventure.

Since you will need to use an oven for this recipe, go ahead and turn your dial to 350 F. Then, grab a large bowl, and toss in the white cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Mix everything to combine. 

Then, divide the batter in half into two separate bowls. In one bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of yellow food color. In the opposite bowl, add the remaining yellow food coloring and the red food coloring. This will give your cupcakes that beautiful candy corn vibe.

"I used liquid food coloring for these, so the amounts I've specified are based on that," Morone shares. "You can use more or less food coloring than I've specified, just use your judgment to get the color you want. And gel food coloring will give you brighter, bolder colors with less dye added."

Now that the batter is good to go, it's time to prep the tins. Since you are making cupcakes, you will need to use two muffin pans to divide the batter evenly. (We've got to love muffin tins, as they serve so many purposes and help us with our favorite dessert!)

Slide a cupcake liner into each slot. Then, fill each one about halfway full with the yellow batter first. Next, spoon the orange batter over the yellow batter. Each cupcake liner should be about ⅔ of the way full when all is said and done.

By now, your oven should be fully preheated. It's good to double check before you stick the cupcakes in the oven, because if you insert them before the range has finished preheating, it could ruin the cupcakes — and you don't want that!

When you put the cupcakes in, set your timer for 18 to 20 minutes. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, let it bake a little longer. When you take the cupcakes out, set them aside, and let them cool.

While the cupcakes bake in the oven, you can move on to the other step in this recipe, like making the frosting. Grab another bowl, and add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat everything together until the frosting is creamy. It's probably easiest to use a stand mixer in this case.

If you don't have time, or prefer to use store-bought frosting, that's totally fine. "Store-bought frosting is totally fine to use to make these," Morone says. "I prefer the taste of homemade buttercream, but it's a bit quicker and easier to use store-bought frosting, and they will still look super cute."

Once the cupcakes finish cooling, pipe the frosting on top. Then, top with candy corn for decoration as you wish. Feel free to keep things simple here, or get creative. These are great to serve at a party or fall fest, and they make such a special dessert to enjoy with the family around Halloween. We think that they are excellent by themselves, but they would also go well with a large glass of milk.

If you have any left over, they will keep for a few days. "Keeping these covered in the fridge should keep them fresh for at least a few days after you make them," Morone says.