Devil in Disguise Cupcakes: Sinfully Sweet Halloween Treats!
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Looking for a spooky treat? Our Devil in Disguise Cupcakes will add a mischievous twist to your Halloween celebrations!
These cupcakes are delicious and delightfully wicked, with their blood-red frosting and handmade fondant devil horns. Perfect for parties, movie nights, or just to treat yourself, they combine rich triple chocolate flavor with eye-catching decorations.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a Halloween enthusiast looking for a fun recipe, these Devil in Disguise Cupcakes will surely impress!
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Where is the Recipe Card?
The printable recipe card is toward the end of this post. We recommend reading through the blog post for tips, substitutions, and serving suggestions.
Devil in Disguise Cupcakes Recipe:
Number of Servings: 12
Prep: 60 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Decorating: 40 mins
Total Time: 2 hours + 12-24 hours for drying fondant.
Devil in Disguise Cupcakes
These Halloween-inspired cupcakes are a triple threat in the kitchen: moist triple chocolate cake, creamy red frosting, and devilish fondant horns make them a show-stopping treat!
The combination of rich chocolate flavors with a burst of vanilla and buttercream is irresistible, while the striking black and red color scheme adds to their spooky appeal.
Cupcakes like these are perfect for Halloween Parties, spooky Movie Marathons, or even as a treat to give out to trick-or-treaters.
Pair these devil cupcakes with Halloween Cocktails or enjoy them as dessert at a Halloween dinner—scroll past the recipe card for our dinner party menu suggestions.
Check out our annual series, Crafty October, for more awesome Halloween ideas!
Ingredients for Devil in Disguise Cupcakes
The ingredients and tools for this recipe are conveniently linked to online retailers such as Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Walmart. The quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Box of Triple Chocolate Cake Mix—The regular, added ingredients are changed to butter, milk, and eggs to enrich the cake mix.
- Powdered Sugar—Also known as Icing Sugar and Confectioner’s Sugar.
- Vanilla Extract—Always buy good vanilla; it makes a flavor difference.
- Heavy Cream—Also known as Double Cream. Gives the frosting a smooth and creamy texture.
- Black Gel Food Coloring—To turn the cupcakes black.
- Red Gel Food Coloring—For the striking red frosting.
- Wilton Black Fondant—This is available in 4.4-oz packages, which are just the right size for these cupcakes, but you can use any brand you like.
- Sprinkles—You will need a mixture of red, purple, black, and orange sprinkles. You can use any shape sprinkles to make your own sprinkle mix or buy a ready-made mix. Whatever you use, you will need about 1 cup (8 oz) to decorate the cupcakes.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post. The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
Cupcake Decorating Equipment
In addition to cupcake baking equipment—Mixer (standing or handheld), Rubber Spatula, Cupcake Liners, Cupcake Pan, and Wire Cooling Rack—you will also need:
- Ice Cream Scoop—A handy tool to divide cupcake batter and frosting equally.
- Small Angled Spatula—This is used to smooth the first layer of frosting.
- Large Piping Bag—You can use disposable or reusable bags.
- Large Star Tip—For example, Wilton 1M.
Cupcake Making Tips
- These cupcakes are made using a box of cake mix – the flavor is enriched with butter, milk, and eggs instead of the usual oil, water, and eggs.
- For the best results, use room-temperature ingredients for a smoother batter. This results in even mixing and better air-trapping, giving your cake a softer, fluffier texture.
- You can use your choice of cupcake liners—themed to the cupcakes, plain white or black, or a complementary color.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the cupcake mixture equally between the liners. Fill them about three-quarters full.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- The cupcakes should be ready in about 20 minutes. Test their doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cakes. When the cupcakes are cooked through, it should come out clean. If not, bake for an extra 2 minutes and check again.
Tips for Using Fondant
The devil horns are made with fondant (sugarpaste). Fondant decorations need time to dry before being used.
Allow up to 24 hours to make the pieces before making and decorating your cupcakes.
If you have never worked with fondant, don’t panic—it is easy to use. Follow our tips, and you’ll be just fine!
- When making cakes or cupcakes with fondant decorations, we like to make them a few days ahead, allowing for stress-free drying. If the fondant hasn’t dried enough, the results can be disappointing.
- Line a cookie sheet(s) or tray(s) with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat to place the fondant pieces on to dry.
- Dust your work surface with cornstarch (cornflour) or powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar) so the fondant doesn’t stick. Think of it like using flour when rolling dough.
- Rub a little cornstarch into your hands and knead a handful of the fondant to make it more pliable before molding, rather than using it straight from the package.
- If the pieces have excess cornstarch, use a pastry brush to remove it. An unused, clean paintbrush will also work here.
- Alternatively, you can use a vodka spray. Pour some vodka into a mini spray bottle and gently mist the fondant wings. Vodka dries more quickly than water.
- Always make extra pieces—that way, if something breaks or you have another mishap, you have backups that you can use.
- Leave the cut fondant pieces to harden in a cool, dry place—do not put them in the fridge.
- The fondant pieces should be solid enough to handle and insert into the cupcakes after 3 – 6 hours. We like to leave fondant pieces to dry for around 24 hours.
- However, the time it takes for the fondant to dry depends on its size and thickness and the humidity in your home. You must judge whether it will hold up as it should in your cupcakes.
- Clearing up after using fondant can sometimes be a bit sticky. Use hot, soapy water to clean your surfaces. For easier cleanup, use a fondant rolling mat.
- Always cover fondant when making decorations to prevent it from drying out. When you’ve finished, wrap any remaining fondant very well. Double-wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container. This keeps it fresh, and you can use it for future cake-making.
Cupcake Frosting Tips
- When making the frosting, you want the end result to be creamy, smooth, and hold a stiff peak. You may have to slightly adjust the amount of powdered sugar and cream to achieve the desired consistency.
- FOOD COLORING: Food coloring is available in various forms. You’re most likely to find liquid coloring in your grocery store and other types of coloring like gels, pastes, and powders in more specialised cake decorating shops. The cheapest option is liquids, but they can alter the consistency of your frosting and cake batter. We prefer pastes or gels, which don’t. A little goes a long way with food coloring gels, and you can usually get a much deeper shade than you would with liquids.
- SPRINKLES! Follow the color scheme or theme of the cupcakes. You can use any type you like, such as nonpareils, jimmies, stars, confetti, pearls, or shapes. You’ll need 1-2 cups to cover the cupcakes.
- Pipe a thick ring of frosting on top of each cupcake, smooth it out with a small spatula, then dip it into sprinkles.
- Pipe the swirl on top of the sprinkle layer using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- If you plan to make a lot of cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, we think it is worth investing in piping tips so that you always have the right ones on hand.
- Do not overfill the piping bag with frosting.
- Ensure you squeeze the frosting down the bag to expel any air bubbles.
- If you are not confident with your piping skills, practice on parchment paper first, scooping the frosting back into the bag to use on the cupcakes.
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Devil in Disguise Cupcakes Recipe Card
The printable recipe card is below—please leave a star rating and quick review to share your experience with others!
Devil in Disguise Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Devil's Horns
- Cornstarch (Cornflour)
- 4.4 oz black fondant
For the Cupcakes
- 1 (15.25-oz/432g) box triple chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1¼ cup whole milk
- Black gel food coloring
For the Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp heavy cream (double cream)
- Red gel food coloring
For Decorating
- 2 oz red sprinkles mix
- 2 oz orange sprinkles mix
- 2 oz purple sprinkles mix
- 2 oz black sprinkles mix
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- To make the devil horns, line a cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat and set it aside. When using fondant, use cornstarch as you would flour when making dough. Dust your work surface, hands, and tools.
- Pinch off 2 teaspoons of black fondant and knead it in your hands to make it pliable. Roll it into a cylinder with a thinner point at one end. Curve into a horn shape, pointing upward. Carefully insert a toothpick* into the thick end of the horn. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet to dry overnight for at least 12 hours. Repeat to make 12 pairs of horns (24 total) plus a few extras.
- To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Line cupcake pans with 12 black cupcake liners and set them aside.
- Using an electric standing or hand mixer, beat the cake mix, eggs, milk, and butter until combined and smooth.
- Add black gel food coloring to the cake mix to get a good black hue. Remember, you can always add more coloring, but not remove it!
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter between the cupcake liners. Fill about ¾ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the frosting, use an electric stand or handheld mixer and add the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla to the bowl.
- Beat on medium speed until creamy, smooth, and stiff peaks form.
- Add 6 drops of red gel food coloring and beat into the frosting. Add additional coloring to achieve a blood-red color. Remember, you can always add more coloring, but not remove it!
- Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag with a large star tip. You may have to refill the bag as you pipe. Cover any unused frosting with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
- To decorate the cakes, pour the sprinkles into a medium shallow bowl and mix to combine.
- Pipe a thick ring onto each cupcake and smooth over with a small angled spatula.
- Dip each cupcake into the bowl of sprinkles and cover the frosting completely.
- Refill the piping bag as required, and pipe red swirls of frosting on top of the sprinkle layer.
- Insert a horn on either side of the frosting, pressing the toothpick into the cupcake for stability. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Halloween Dinner Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a spooky dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Easy Pepperoni Mini Mummy Pizzas
- Soup: Loaded Cauliflower Leek Soup
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Main Dish: Slow Cooker Spicy Pulled Pork Chili
- Side Dish: Mexican Rice
- Beverage: Devil’s Fire Shots