Purple Monster Cupcakes For Halloween

Name: Purple Monster Cupcakes For Halloween
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 190 g Softened butter; 190 g Caster sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 3 Medium Eggs; 190 g Self-raising flour; Purple food colouring ((add a little bit at a time until you get your desired colour)); 85 g Softened butter; 350 g Icing sugar; 2-3 Tablespoons Milk; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; Purple food colouring; 6 Tablespoons Edible candy eyes

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Looking for a fun, eye-catching treat for your Halloween party table? These purple monster cupcakes are the perfect addition, with their vibrant purple base and spooky monster eyes on top. These are fun to make and so delicious that both children and adults will adore them.

overhead shot of purple monster cupcakes with edible eyes on top

Say hello to yet another spooky (but cute) Halloween cupcake recipe! These purple monster cupcakes are soft and fluffy, made with a buttery vanilla sponge mix and decadent purple frosting, and of course, some edible monster eyes. These are ideal for Halloween celebrations, family gatherings, or even school bake sales.

This recipe is super simple to follow but for those who are new to baking, I've included a detailed post below with everything you need to know. I hope you find it helpful. For those more experienced in the kitchen, feel free to scroll to the end of the post to get to the recipe card. Enjoy!

Ingredients

To create these fun purple monster cupcakes, you’ll need a few simple ingredients. Most of these are kitchen staples, so you might already have them on hand!

Butter: Unsalted or salted, whatever you prefer! Make sure it's soft before you start baking so it's easier to mix in with the sugar.
Caster sugar: Caster sugar is also known as superfine sugar. As the name suggests, it has a finer texture than granulated sugar, resulting in a better mouthfeel.
Vanilla extract: For flavour. You can use a different flavour extract if you want to change it up.
Medium eggs: 3 of them.
Self-raising flour: Self-raising flour, or self-rising flour, is just plain flour that has raising agents already added to it. If you only have plain/all-purpose flour to hand, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe separately.
Purple food colouring: You'll need enough to colour the cake mix and the frosting. I recommend gel or paste colours for a more vibrant result.
Milk: For the frosting, and it's also handy to have for the cake batter in case you need to loosen it a little.
Icing sugar: To make the frosting.
Edible candy eyes: These are a key ingredient for monster cupcakes! I used Cake Decor's 'Spooky Eyes' and a few of their 'Edible Eyes'.

Equipment You’ll Need

Cupcake tin: Or a muffin tin, with 12 holes. I prefer to use a muffin tin as it gives the cupcakes a better shape.
Cupcake cases: Purple, black, orange, or any Halloween theme!
Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake mix and a medium-sized one for the frosting.
Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing, a teaspoon for measuring the vanilla and dividing the cake mix, and a toothpick or butter knife to check the cakes are ready.
Cooling rack: To let the cupcakes breathe after they come out of the oven.
Piping bag and nozzle: If you want to pipe the frosting on. Otherwise, you can just spread it on with a spoon.

halloween purple monster cupcakes on a plate

How to Make Purple Monster Cupcakes

Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using a fan oven) and lining your cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, cream together 190g of softened butter and 190g of caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Then stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add 190g of self-raising flour and 3 eggs to the bowl, a little bit at a time, until smooth. The batter should be fairly thick but you can add a small splash of milk to help loosen it a little if you need to.

Step 4: Stir some purple food colouring into the cake mix. I recommend starting with a small amount and adding more as needed until you get the shade that you're looking for.

Step 5: Divide the purple cupcake batter evenly between your 12 cases, filling them about ⅔ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the purple cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your purple frosting. Add 85g of softened butter to a bowl and stir in 350g of icing sugar, a little at a time. Use up to 3 tablespoons of milk to loosen the icing as needed.

Step 7: Stir in some purple food colouring until it reaches your desired shade. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk and if it's too runny, add more icing sugar.

Step 8: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, it’s time to decorate them! Using a piping bag fitted with a small open star nozzle, pipe small stars all over your purple cupcakes. Top with edible candy eyes and enjoy!

Top Tips

For a vibrant purple colour, I recommend using gel food colouring instead of liquid. Gel colourings are more concentrated and won’t affect the consistency of your batter or frosting as much.
Use a muffin tin for the best cupcake shape. The deeper holes help the cakes to rise upwards rather than outwards.
If you don’t have edible candy eyes, you can make your own by piping a small dot of milk chocolate onto white chocolate buttons.

FAQ

Can I make these in advance?

Yes. These cupcakes will last for up to 5 days in an airtight container so they're perfect for prepping ahead of your Halloween party.

Can I freeze purple monster cupcakes?

You sure can! Keep them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To defrost them, let them sit out at room temperature for an hour or so. Do not refreeze.

Can I make them gluten-free?

Yes, to make gluten-free purple Halloween cupcakes, replace the self-raising flour with a gluten-free self-raising flour blend. One with xanthan gum will work best.

pile of purple monster cupcakes for halloween

More Halloween cupcakes:

I hope you like these purple monster cupcakes! If you make them for Halloween, let me know how you get on by leaving a comment and rating below. Enjoy!