Candy Corn Cupcakes are a fun, festive way to bring Halloween color to your dessert spread without actually tasting like candy corn. These cupcakes get their look from layered orange, yellow, and white frosting that mimics the classic candy—no waxy flavor required.

They start with a simple vanilla cupcake base, but the real magic is in the decorating. You can use piping bags to layer the frosting, or just spread each color on with a knife for a more casual vibe. Either way, they’re bright, cheerful, and perfect for school parties or Halloween potlucks.

Helpful Tips

Tint your frosting with gel food coloring for bold, vibrant layers that won’t water it down.
Chill the cupcakes briefly between frosting layers to keep the colors from blending.
You don’t have to make a spice cake as the cupcake. You can use any cupcake base you want. You can even buy cupcakes premade and decorate them.

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Candy Corn Cupcakes

Candy Corn Cupcakes are a fun, festive way to bring Halloween color to your dessert spread without actually tasting like candy corn.

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 18

Total Time 1 3

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cupcakes

Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cups brown sugar packed
1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

For the Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
yellow and orange gel food coloring

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325° F and put cupcake liners into a cupcake tin.
In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, cream the butter. Then add both types of sugar and beat until fluffy.
Beat in one egg at a time and beat until combined before adding the next egg. Pour in the vanilla and milk and beat until combined.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a spatula until totally incorporated.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full, then bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack until completely cooled.

For the frosting

Whip the butter with an electric mixer or a stand mixer on medium-high for 5 minutes, then scrape down the bowl.
Turn the speed to low and add the powdered sugar in small increments, beating until incorporated before adding more.
Once all the powdered sugar is in, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 2 minutes or until fluffy and light.
Separate into three bowls, putting a quarter of the frosting in one bowl, a quarter in another, and the remaining half in the last. Color the bowl with half the frosting orange using orange gel food color. Color one of the smaller bowls with yellow gel food color.
Once the cupcakes are cool, frost them with one ring of yellow at the bottom, two rings of orange in the middle, and then frost the top with white.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 226mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 550IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Halloween

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