Halloween Fairy Cakes

Name: Halloween Fairy Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 100 g Softened butter; 100 g Caster sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 2 Small Eggs; 100 g Self-raising flour; Orange food colouring ((as much as needed to get your desired colour)); 130 g Icing sugar; 2 Tablespoons Milk; Black food colouring ((or black cocoa powder)); Few Tablespoons Halloween cake sprinkles

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These Halloween fairy cakes are light, fluffy and dainty, perfect for kids' Halloween parties or other spooky events! They're super easy to make and lots of fun to decorate.

pile of black and orange halloween fairy cakes

How cute are these mini Halloween fairy cakes?! With their vibrant orange sponge base and jet-black icing topping, these are perfect for parties and they're sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them!

You'll only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these bite-sized treats, and they'll be ready to eat from scratch in less than an hour. They're soft, fluffy and light, and I can't wait for you to try them.

For those of you who have never made fairy cakes, I've written a post below that contains everything you need to know to get them right on the first try. I hope you find it helpful, but if you'd prefer to jump straight to the recipe card, you can find it at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Ingredients list:

Butter: I like to use unsalted butter in my bakes but feel free to use salted if you prefer. Make sure to let it soften at room temperature for an hour or so before you start baking- this will make mixing a lot easier.
Sugar: Caster sugar (AKA superfine sugar) will give your fairy cakes the best texture. I recommend using this over granulated sugar if you can.
Vanilla extract: To add flavour. You can use orange extract instead if you want orange-flavoured cakes.
Eggs: 2 small ones. These will add moisture to the sponge and help bind the rest of the ingredients together.
Flour: Self-raising flour is a must-have ingredient when it comes to making cupcakes! It already has the baking agents added to it, making the baking process a little easier.
Food colouring: I used orange and black food paste to colour my cupcakes and icing. If you don't want to use black food colouring (as it often stains teeth!) then you can use black cocoa powder instead for a similar effect.
Icing sugar: To make up the fairy cake icing.
Milk: Another ingredient for the icing.
Sprinkles: I used Cake Decor Halloween spooky mix sprinkles but feel free to use whichever sprinkles or cake decorations you have on hand.

Kitchen equipment:

Cupcake tin: Either a 12-hole tin or two 6-hole tins. I like to use a tin with deep holes as this helps the fairy cakes to better hold their shape.
Fairy cake cases: These are not the same as regular cupcake cases! Fairy cake cases are basically mini cupcake cases. If you use regular cases, you'll only get around 6 out of the cake mix rather than 12.
Mixing bowl: A medium-sized mixing bowl will work fine for the small amount of batter.
Utensils: A wooden spoon or metal spoon plus a couple of teaspoons.
Food scale: To ensure accuracy. I measure all of my ingredients in grams using a scale.

overhead shot of halloween fairy cakes on a wire rack

How to make Halloween fairy cakes

Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens) and line a cupcake tin with 12 fairy cake cases.

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together 100g of softened butter and 100g of caster sugar. Once that's smooth and fluffy, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Step 3: Measure out 100g of self-raising flour then add half of it to the bowl along with 1 small egg. Mix well until smooth, then add the rest of the flour and another small egg. The batter should be fairly thick.

Step 4: Stir in some orange food colouring. I usually start with ¼ teaspoon of gel colouring and add more if I want a more vibrant colour.

Step 5: Divide the cake mix between your 12 fairy cake cases and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick through the middle comes out clean. Let them sit in the tin for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Step 6: Prepare the icing by mixing together 130g of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. When it's nice and smooth, stir in some black food colouring or black cocoa powder until you've got your desired colour.

Step 7: Using a teaspoon, spread a bit of black icing onto each fairy cake then top with some Halloween cake sprinkles.

Step 8: Let the cakes sit at room temperature until the icing has hardened then enjoy!

Tips for success

Make sure you're using fairy cake cases and not regular cupcake cases. Fairy cake cases are a lot smaller and you'll therefore get more out of the mixture.
Black cocoa powder is a great alternative to black food colouring if you want to avoid staining your mouth black. However, if you do use food colouring, I'd recommend using a paste or gel as you'll need less of it to get a vibrant colour compared to liquid colouring.
If your cake mix is too thick to mix, add a small splash of milk. If it's too thin or curdled, add more self-raising flour.

FAQ

How long does this recipe last?

You can keep your fairy cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze Halloween fairy cakes?

Yes, these can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. You can also freeze them solid on a baking tray then transfer them to a freezer bag. To defrost them, just let them sit out on a wire rack or plate for an hour or so.

Where can I buy fairy cake cases?

You can usually find them in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. They'll either be labelled as fairy cake cases or small cupcake cases. You'll be able to see if they're the right size by comparing them to the regular cases. I used Dr. Oetker's Halloween baking cases (purchased from Tesco), which were the perfect size.

More Halloween cupcakes:

I hope you have fun making these Halloween fairy cakes! If you enjoy the recipe, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know. Enjoy!