Witches Brew Cupcakes

Cupcakes topped with multi-colored frosting (orange, blue, and green) and sprinkles and an Oreo dipped in chocolate and covered in green icing and a variety of sprinkles including eyeballs, bats, and ghosts to resemble a bubbling cauldron. Halloween decor surrounds the cupcakes.

Witches Brew Cupcakes are topped with handmade chocolate cauldrons that bubble with green candy “ooze” and spooky Halloween sprinkles—a magical dessert that’s sure to enchant!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Halloween

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 20

Servings

Calories 577kcal

Author Michelle Ordever

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cauldrons

12 Double Stuf Oreo Cookies
24 large black pearl sprinkles
1 (12-oz) bag dark chocolate melting wafers
1 (12-oz) bag bright green melting wafers
2 cups green pearl sprinkles
1 cup purple pearl sprinkles
1 cup bat sprinkles
1 cup eyeball sprinkles
1 cup skull sprinkles

For the Cupcakes

1 (15.25-oz/432g) box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
1 cup whole milk
½ cup unsalted butter softened
Neon orange gel food coloring
Neon green gel food coloring
Neon purple gel food coloring

For the Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter softened
3 cups powdered sugar icing sugar/confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream double cream
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Neon orange gel food coloring
Neon green gel food coloring
Neon purple gel food coloring
3 cups Halloween Sprinkles Mix

Instructions

Make the Cauldrons

Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat and set it aside.
Carefully separate the Oreos. You want all of the filling on one side of the cookie
Melt the dark chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl till smooth. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring to prevent burning. Or melt according to the package instructions.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate onto the center of the Oreo filling. Press a popsicle stick into the chocolate, then spoon about half a teaspoon more of chocolate on top of the stick.
Place the other half of the cookie on top and press together gently. It's okay if some chocolate oozes out of the sides! You can gently smooth it around with the back of a teaspoon.
Repeat the steps with the remaining cookies, and set them aside for the chocolate to harden. You can place them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
Remelt the chocolate, if required, and stir until smooth. Carefully dip each Oreo cookie pop into the chocolate, covering it completely. Gently tap it on on the edge of the bowl to get rid of excess chocolate.
Add two black pearl sprinkle "legs" to the bottom of the chocolate-coated cookies on either side of the popsicle stick as “legs.” Place on the prepared cookie sheet to dry. Repeat for the remaining cookies and leave to set. Again you can pthem e in the fridge to speed up the process.
When the cauldrons are set, melt the green candy according to the package instructions. Transfer the melted candy to a disposable piping bag and cut off the tip.
Gently peel the chocolate cookie cauldron from the silicone baking mat. Holding it in one hand, pipe the melted green candy over the top to make it look like ooze coming out of the cauldron. Sprinkle over some green pearl sprinkles to create a 3D effect. Then add purple pearls, skulls, eyeballs, and bat sprinkles to complete the potion! Set aside to harden. (See notes)

Make the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C / Gas Mark 4). Line cupcake pans with 12 black cupcake liners and set them aside.
Using an electric standing or hand mixer, beat the cake mix, egg whites, milk, and butter until combined and smooth.
Divide the batter into three bowls. Add a few drops of orange coloring to one bowl, green to another, and purple to the third. Stir in the food coloring until well combined and you reach the desired shade. Remember, you can always add more coloring, but can't take it away!
Add 1 tablespoon of orange cake batter to each cupcake liner.
Add 1 tablespoon of green cake batter on top of the orange.
Add 1 tablespoon of purple cake batter on top of the orange and green layers.
Repeat until all the colored batter has been used, then swirl the colors together with a toothpick or skewer to create the marbled effect.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Make the Frosting

Using an electric stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and cream together until smooth and stiff peaks form.
Divide the frosting between three bowls, and mix a few drops of orange into one bowl, green to the second, and purple to the third. Remember, you can always add more coloring, but can't take it away!
Scoop each color down one-third side of a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Gently squeeze to begin piping out the frosting, allowing it to mix together.
To decorate the cakes, pour the Halloween sprinkles mix 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.
Top this layer of frosting and sprinkles with a swirl of frosting.
Carefully insert the cauldron (still on its stick) into the cupcake. If you find that the stick is too long, cut it down with a pair of scissors. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Notes

Tips

You can try removing the popsicle sticks before decorating the cupcakes. Once the chocolate in the cauldrons has fully hardened, gently twist the stick to loosen it, then pull it out. If you're concerned about ruining the chocolate coating, leave the sticks in and cut them down to size before placing them into the cupcakes. Just let your guests know that the stick is there!
When you've decorated the cookie cauldron tops, you may not want the backs flattened. The easiest way to dry them is to stand the dipped cauldrons upright in a piece of styrofoam (polystyrene) or a block of florist’s oasis so they stay steady. You can, of course, set them flat on a silicone mat if you don’t mind one side being slightly uneven.
Work in batches. Candy melts cool and set quickly, so pipe the green “potion” and add sprinkles to a few cauldrons at a time.
Let the green candy harden completely on top of the cauldrons before moving or placing them on cupcakes. This keeps the decorations crisp and prevents smudging.
Make the cauldrons a day ahead. They store perfectly at room temperature in a cool, dry place, saving time if you're throwing a party or entertaining.

Substitutions

Use white chocolate wafers colored with black candy coloring if dark chocolate wafers aren’t available. You can also use black candy melts.
Swap in any combination of Halloween sprinkles or edible glitter to match your party theme.
Switch up the Oreo flavors for seasonal ones, if available.

Leftovers & Freezing

Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Not suitable for freezing due to the candy decorations and chocolate cauldrons.

Always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Safety (USA) | Food Standards Agency (UK)

Nutrition