Pumpkin Cupcakes!

Easy Halloween cupcakes in pumpkin form… orange sponges, orange and green buttercream, and more = pumpkin cupcakes! 

Hello October!

So say hello to spooky season… it’s finally October, and I am here for all of the spooky bakes that I can get my hands on. Honestly, I love it… I never go into enough effort when it comes to Halloween, so I am trying my best to rectify that this year and come up with some new exciting halloween themed, delicious treats.

I wanted to do something that would be obviously October themed… and how could it be anything other than pumpkin-themed?! Yes, I know, you can buy them earlier than October… but when I see pumpkins, I think Halloween. I have some great Halloween bakes on here, such as my spooky spider web cake, and my pumpkin spice latte cake… but I wanted to do an easy Halloween themed cupcake. These beautiful little pumpkin cupcakes were born.

Pumpkin cupcakes

These pumpkin cupcakes are very much about the look, but don’t worry, they still taste absolutely delicious. They’re the kind of bake that makes people smile before they’ve even taken a bite, which is always a win in my book. They’re perfect for Halloween parties, family get-togethers, school events, or just a bit of October baking fun at home. I’d definitely class these as an easy, low-stress bake that still looks like you’ve made a proper effort.

One of my favourite things about this recipe is how customisable it is. The pumpkin effect comes from the colour and decoration, so you can completely change the flavour if you want. Vanilla, lemon, orange, almond, anything goes. I went all-in on orange this time, mostly because I love how vibrant it looks, and also because orange-flavoured cake feels very autumnal to me. I used orange cupcakes cases so the “pumpkin” decoration stole the show, then filled them with a simple orange-coloured sponge mixture. Honestly, once they’re decorated, they’re ridiculously cute.

Sponge

The sponge for these pumpkin cupcakes is a classic, reliable cupcake recipe that works every single time, which is exactly what you want for a themed bake. No surprises, no stress. You’ll need unsalted butter or baking spread, caster sugar, eggs, and self-raising flour. I always start by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This step really matters, as it helps trap air in the mixture and gives you a softer, lighter sponge.

Once that’s done, I add the eggs and self-raising flour in one go and mix until just combined. You want the batter to be smooth, thick, and creamy, with no lumps hiding at the bottom of the bowl. This is the stage where you add your flavouring and then the orange food colouring. Mix gently until the colour is even, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. I’ve definitely had moments where I thought I’d added enough colour… baked them… and ended up with beige pumpkins. Learn from my mistakes, orange needs commitment.

Food colouring

You need to use a strong orange food colouring so that the pumpkin cupcakes work – Supermarket own-brand colours just won’t cut it here — trust me, I’ve tried, and the result was more “sad peach” than pumpkin. I recommend using a professional gel colour like this orange food colouring. You only need a tiny amount, it gives a vibrant result, and it lasts forever. It’s one of those baking investments that’s genuinely worth it.

For the little green tendrils on top, I use a strong green gel colouring as well. You don’t need much at all, just enough to give a proper leafy green shade. The tendrils are optional, but I really think they bring the pumpkins to life and make them instantly recognisable.

Bake

Bake the pumpkin cupcakes for 18–22 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine took around 20 minutes and were perfectly baked with a skewer coming out clean. Another helpful tip is to listen to the cupcakes as they bake. If you can hear bubbling or crackling when you get close, they usually need another minute or two… try not to burn your ear or the side of the face please!

Once baked, leave them in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Make sure they’re completely cool before decorating, otherwise the buttercream will melt and fall off the bake before you can finish. Oven’s at not always consistent with temperature so it’s always best to be sure they’re fully baked before taking them out of the oven.

Buttercream frosting

Once baked, cool them and make the frosting. For ease, I did a simple American style buttercream frosting. Unsalted block butter, NOT BAKING SPREAD, and icing sugar. I use a simple 1:2 ratio for American buttercream frosting. 

I then use the same flavouring I used in the bake, and then the same orange food colouring as well! How much colouring or even flavouring you need, depends on the brand. I use extra strong colours so need a small amount, and I love using Nielsen Massey flavourings such as this vanilla extract. 

Before you colour all of the frosting oranges, however, take out 1tbsp of buttercream, and colour this green – you will then use this for your little tendrils. This part is optional, but I think the green tendrils really adds to the bake. Finally, I use a small piece of a matchmaker for the stem, but you can leave this out or use something else. 

Tips & tricks

• I used this orange food colouring in this bake for the sponges and buttercream.
• I used this green food colouring for the ‘leaf’.
• I used this 2d closed star piping tip for the orange buttercream.
• I used this small round piping tip for the green. 
• I used this muffin tin!

Pumpkin Cupcakes!

Easy halloween cupcakes in pumpkin form... orange sponges, orange and green buttercream, and more = pumpkin cupcakes! 

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Category: Cupcakes

Type: Cupcakes

Keyword: Halloween

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cooling & Decorating Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 200 g unsalted butter
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g self raising flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp flavouring (I used vanilla)
• 1 tsp orange food colouring

Buttercream/Decoration

• 200 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 400 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp flavouring (I used vanilla)
• 1 tsp orange food colouring
• 1/4 tsp green food colouring
• Matchmakers/pretzels/fingers

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and prep 12 larger muffin size cupcake cases or regular size baking cups.
• In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add the self raising flour and eggs to the mixture and beat again until smooth and combined.
• Add the flavouring, and orange food colouring to the mixture, and beat until its a smooth orange colour.
• Split the mixture evenly between the 12 cases, and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes.
• Let the cupcakes cool fully on a wire rack.

Buttercream

• Add the unsalted butter to a large bowl, and beat for about five minutes to really soften.
• Add in the icing sugar and flavouring, and beat again for another five minutes so it's combined.
• Remove one tablespoon of buttercream and put into a small bowl. Colour this small amount of buttercream green.
• Colour the rest of the buttercream orange.

Decoration

• Pipe the orange buttercream onto the cupcakes using a 2d closed star piping tip.
• Pipe small amounts of green buttercream onto the cupcakes for a tendril, using a small round piping tip.
• Insert a small piece of matchmaker/pretzel/finger for the stem and you're done!

Notes

• I used this orange food colouring in this bake for the sponges and buttercream.
• I used this green food colouring for the 'leaf'.
• I used this 2d closed star piping tip for the orange buttercream.
• I used this small round piping tip for the green. 
• I used this muffin tin!