Making these creepy-cute Skull Cupcakes is easier than you think. Learn how to create a simple skull design out of buttercream for Halloween – complete with a photo tutorial. Bone-appetit!
☠️ How to Make Skull Cupcakes for Halloween
Celebrating spooky season in style just got a little easier!
No complicated Halloween treats here – these Skull Cupcakes are surprisingly simple, and 100% adorable. (Can you call something decorated like a skull adorable?? Maybe I should say they’re to die for instead.)
All you need are baked cupcakes and two colors of buttercream to make these Jack Skellington-inspired faces. You’re welcome to take a shortcut and use your favorite cake mix for these cupcakes. But if you’re looking for some homemade inspiration, browse our list of cupcake recipes here.
Find the recipe and full photo tutorial below, to guide you through every step of decorating. Have fun!
🎃 More Spooky Sweets
If you like to put the “treat” in “trick or treat,” check out all of our fun Halloween dessert recipes, like Witch’s Brew Halloween Punch, Red Velvet Marshmallow Spiderweb Cake, and Witch Finger Cookies.
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
It doesn’t take much to make these cupcakes! Take a look at these ingredient tips as you gather what you’ll need. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Cupcakes: You’ll need 24 baked and cooled cupcakes in the flavor of your choice. Make cupcakes from scratch or use your favorite mix!
- Unsalted butter and salt: I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in my frosting. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the added salt. Give the butter time to soften to cool room temperature.
- Milk: Use milk or water to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: My favorite brand of vanilla extract is made by Nielsen-Massey.
- Powdered sugar: This frosting recipe is an American Buttercream, which is powdered sugar-based. You’ll want to measure the sugar with a scale if possible and then sift it into the mixture.
- Black gel food coloring: I love the Americolor brand of gel food coloring. It’s highly concentrated so you only need a little to achieve deep coloring. I used super black to dye the frosting for the facial details. Check the Tips below for more information about making deep black frosting.
Equipment
All you’ll need are some piping tools to create the look of these Skull Cupcakes! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Piping bags and couplers: I like these piping bags because they are washable and can be reused. You’ll also need a few standard couplers. If you don’t have these items, you can make your own piping bags from plastic zip-top bags (see the Tips section below!). If you go this route you won’t need couplers or a piping tip, either.
- Piping tip: I’d recommend using a small round tip like Wilton Tip #1 to pipe on the facial details.
- Cupcake liners: I used plain black cupcake liners for these cupcakes. However, as a totally optional and fun upgrade, you can dress your cupcakes in solid colored rainbow liners or Halloween cupcake liners.
💀 More Skull Treats
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
Skull Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 24 baked and cooled cupcakes, from scratch or your favorite mix, I used chocolate cupcakes
For the Frosting
- 1 lb unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 2 TBSP milk, can substitute water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 28 oz powdered sugar, (7 cups), sifted after measuring
- Black gel food coloring, I used Americolor Super Black
Instructions
Make the Frosting
- Place the butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until very white and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the speed lower, and add 1 tablespoon of milk, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated with the butter.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of it is added, stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl, then mix the buttercream on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- If the buttercream is too stiff for your needs, add the remaining tablespoon of milk and mix it in well. You can adjust the final texture by adding more powdered sugar or milk until you like the consistency.
- Separate out about a quarter of the frosting. Dye the smaller portion black, using good-quality gel or powder food coloring. (If you don’t mind some chocolate flavor, you can also add black cocoa powder (about ¼ cup) to it so you won’t need to use as much food coloring). You can use the colored frosting right away, but it’s best to chill it for at least 1 hour before use. See Note below.
Frost the Cupcakes
- When you are ready to begin decorating, place the white frosting in a piping bag fitted with a plain coupler, and the black frosting in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, like Wilton #1.
- Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe a large round ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (approximately 3 TBSP). Invert the cupcake and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets so that the frosting spreads evenly and covers the top of the cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
- Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator for about an hour, until the buttercream is very firm. Peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing a completely flat buttercream layer on top.
Decorate the Cupcakes
- Take the piping bag with black buttercream and pipe the skull face. Give it two ovals for eyes, two small lines for a nose, and a long mouth with stitches across it. Repeat until all of the cupcakes are decorated.
- Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Skull Cupcakes
Decorate with me! Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to decorate Skull Cupcakes from start to finish. Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.
Frost cupcakes
- Prepare to decorate. Fill 2 piping bags: fit one with a plain coupler and fill it with white frosting, and fit the other with a small round tip, like Wilton #1, and fill it with black frosting. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Frost. Pipe a ball of white frosting on top of a cupcake (about 3 TBSP). Turn the cupcake upside down and gently press it onto one of the lined baking sheets until the frosting spreads evenly, covering the top of the cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
- Chill. Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the buttercream is very firm (about an hour).
Decorate Cupcakes
- Remove from parchment. Once the frosting is firm, peel the cupcakes off the parchment, revealing completely flat buttercream tops.
- Pipe eyes and nose. Start piping the faces with the black buttercream. Give each cupcake two slanted oval eyes and two small lines for a nose.
- Finish cupcakes. Make the mouth by piping a long, wavy line of frosting and then cross it with stitches. Repeat until all of the cupcakes are decorated.
- Enjoy!
💡Tips and FAQs
Make the best Halloween cupcakes with a few simple suggestions!
If you don’t have piping bags and tips on hand, you can use Ziplock bags, and cut a small hole in one of the corners to pipe frosting through.
If you’ve ever tried to make black frosting, you’ll agree that it is one of the most difficult colors to make. Your best chance of success is to use a high-quality gel or powdered food coloring, and to make the frosting at least a day in advance.
I use and recommend Americolor Ultra Black food coloring, but other gel and powdered options will also work. Just avoid liquid color, which is not as strong and will require a LOT of coloring to get your desired shade.
After mixing in the coloring, it ESSENTIAL to give it time to sit and deepen. This extra time allows the color to fully develop and makes a more vibrant black. I recommend making and coloring the buttercream a day before you want to use it.
And, if you don’t mind some chocolate flavor, you can also add 2-3 TBSP black cocoa powder to the frosting to reduce the amount of food coloring needed.
Both components of these cupcakes can be made in advance and used later.
Frosting: The frosting can be made up to a week in advance. Place the frosting in an airtight container and press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the frosting to prevent a crust from forming. Store the frosting in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature on the counter, then whip it on medium speed until it regains its light, creamy texture.
Cupcakes: Baked and cooled cupcakes can be frozen in airtight containers. Let them defrosting in their container on the countertop before decorating.
Store extra cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
