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Candy Corn Cupcakes are a fun way to celebrate Halloween and Fall. Just one cake mix, two colors, and cream cheese frosting, and everyone loves them.
Fun Cupcakes That Are Easy to Make
This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not because it’s Halloween and not because of trick or treat, but because the stores are suddenly filled with bags and bags of sweet sugary orange and yellow Candy Corn. I know, it’s crazy, an adult so excited about a junk food candy. But I am seriously addicted to these sweet little nuggets that I make cupcakes that look just like them.
Ingredients
White Vanilla Cake Mix – If you asked me to pick my favorite prepared cake mix, it would be this one. It bakes perfectly every time and stays fluffy and moist.
Egg Whites – For convenience, I like to keep a small carton of egg whites in my refrigerator. They are easy to measure with no mess or leftover yolks.
Milk – You can use what every type of milk you like in this recipe.
Canola Oil – I used the oil I had in my pantry.
Cream Cheese – Make sure that you use cream cheese that has been softened at room temperature. I do not recommend using tub cream cheese or whipped cream cheese; stick to the block cream cheese.
Confectioners sugar – I usually don’t have any issue with generic or store-branded products, but for frosting, I always use a name brand confections sugar because I’ve had issues in the past with the texture and consistency of frosting when I’ve used a generic brand sugar.
Yellow and Red Food Coloring to make yellow and orange cake batter layers.
Candy Corn and Sprinkles – I used mini candy corn which is just like the regular but a bit smaller.
How to Make Candy Corn Cupcakes
- Prepare the cake batter by combining the cake mix, egg whites, milk, and oil in a large bowl and beating on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Separate the batter into to bowls.
- Color one bowl with yellow food coloring and the other with orange food coloring.
- Place the cupcake liners into a muffin tin.
- Fill all of the liners 1/2 way with yellow cake mix.
- Then add an equal amount of orange cake batter on top of the yellow cake batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350°.
- Completely cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese and butter until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the confections sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on medium speed.
- Place the frosting into a pastry bag or zip-top bag with a pastry tip and decorate the cupcakes.
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- When using food coloring start with a smaller amount and add to it…you can always add more but you can’t take it away. For this recipe, I used 6-8 drops. I also find that once the colored batter sits for a few minutes, the darker it gets.
- I also make my frosting colors very dark or very bright because when it bakes, it tends to dull the color.
- I like to make my frosting the day before I bake. It’s much less mess in the kitchen. Simply store the frosting in plastic and place it in the refrigerator. Take it out about an hour before you’re going to use it.
- SPECIAL TIP: Make frosting clean up a breeze! I place my frosting on plastic wrap and then wrap it up so it looks like a log. When I’m ready to use it, I snip off one end of the log and then place that into a piping bag with a tip. It’s so easy and when you’re finished, just remove the tip and throw everything away.
- To make any box cake mix recipe a little bit lighter, substitute the canola oil for an equal amount of applesauce.
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Candy Corn Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box white vanilla-flavored cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- 1-1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- red and yellow food coloring
- 1-8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine cake mix, eggs whites, milk, and oil in a large bowl.
- Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Separate the prepared mix into two bowls with an equal amount in each.
- Color one bowl yellow using the yellow food coloring.
- Color the other bowl orange using the yellow and red food coloring.
- Place cupcake liners into muffin tin.
- Fill all muffin liners 1/2 way with yellow cake mix. Tap it on the counter a few times so that the yellow settles.
- Then do the same with the orange cake mix.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Cool for 1 hour before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- With a mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter until smooth.
- Add confectioners sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Place it in a zip-top or pastry bag with a pastry tip and pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
- Decorate and enjoy!
Notes
- When using food coloring start with a smaller amount and add to it…you can always add more but you can’t take it away. For this recipe, I used 6-8 drops. I also find that once the colored batter sits for a few minutes, the darker it gets.
- I also make my frosting colors very dark or very bright because when it bakes, it tends to dull the color.
- I like to make my frosting the day before I bake. It’s much less mess in the kitchen. Simply store the frosting in plastic and place it in the refrigerator. Take it out about an hour before you’re going to use it.
- SPECIAL TIP: Make frosting clean up a breeze! I place my frosting on plastic wrap and then wrap it up so it looks like a log. When I’m ready to use it, I snip off one end of the log and then place that into a piping bag with a tip. It’s so easy and when you’re finished, just remove the tip and throw everything away.
- To make any box cake mix recipe a little bit lighter, substitute the canola oil for an equal amount of applesauce.
If you love this recipe, please let me know by giving it 5-stars and leaving me a message below.
I love all the detail in this recipe. These little cuties need to be in my kitchen soon!
Aren’t they fun?!