Skull Cupcakes

These Skull Cupcakes are a spooky showstopper—playful, delicious, and just creepy enough to steal the spotlight at any Halloween celebration.

Bring some spooky flair to your Halloween spread with these eerie Skull Cupcakes! They’re a perfect mix of fun and fright, featuring edible fondant skulls, colourful frosting, and a deliciously soft cupcake base. Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or want to surprise friends and family with a ghoulishly delightful treat, these cupcakes are sure to impress.

The metallic skull toppers add a striking touch, while the swirl of vibrant frosting makes them a festive centrepiece for any spooky celebration. They’re surprisingly simple to make, too – no advanced decorating skills required!

Equipment Needed

• Skull fondant mould – Found online or in craft stores like Michaels. If you don’t have one, you can shape small skulls by hand or use a different Halloween-themed mould.
• Small food-safe paintbrush – For dusting cornstarch inside the mould.
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
• Black and white cupcake liners
• Large piping bag with a wide star tip
• Medium cookie scoop

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Silver fondant: Gives the skulls their metallic look. You can use white fondant and brush it with edible metallic dust, or choose any colour that fits your theme.
• Cornstarch: Prevents fondant from sticking. Powdered sugar works as a substitute.
• Cake mix: Any boxed flavour works well – vanilla, chocolate, or funfetti are great options.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs help create a lighter texture.
• Milk: Whole milk gives the best flavour, but any non-dairy milk or buttermilk will work too.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is ideal, but margarine, vegan butter, or oil can be used.
• Powdered sugar: The base for fluffy frosting. If you’re out, you can make your own by blending granulated sugar until fine.
• Heavy cream: For a rich, smooth frosting. Use non-dairy milk or coconut cream as an alternative.
• Vanilla extract: Swap for almond or coconut extract for a twist.
• Food colouring: Gel colouring works best – it’s vibrant and won’t thin your frosting.
• Sprinkles: Mix and match to suit your colour scheme or omit entirely.

Looking for More Halloween Treats?

Check out more of my favourite Halloween recipes!

This Halloween cupcake decorating tutorial will show you how to make devil horns for your own devil cupcakes. It’s easy, fun and delicious!

Need to make a Halloween themed dessert? Look no further than these spooky graveyard mini cheesecakes – they are loaded with chocolate!

Looking for the perfect Halloween treat? Try these deliciously spooky Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired cheesecakes.

Skull Cupcakes

Yields: 18 Cupcakes | Prep time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 21 minutes | Chill & Drying Time: 8 hours (for fondant skulls and chilling frosting)

Ingredients

Fondant Skulls

• 4.4 oz silver fondant (found at Michaels)
• Cornstarch (to help mould the fondant)

Confetti Cupcakes

• 1 box Cherry Chip cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened

Vanilla Frosting

• 2 cups unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Black and neon pink gel food colouring
• Black and silver sprinkles
• Pink skull sprinkles

Directions

Fondant Skulls

1. Prepare the fondant: Knead the silver fondant on a cutting board dusted with cornstarch until soft and pliable.
2. Prep the mould: Lightly dust the inside of the skull mould with cornstarch using a small brush.
3. Shape: Pinch off about 1½ tablespoons of fondant and press it firmly into the mould.
4. Set: Leave the fondant in the mould for about 3 minutes before gently peeling it out.
5. Dry: Place the skulls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them dry overnight. Repeat until you have 18 skulls.

Confetti Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with black and white liners.
2. Make the batter: In a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, eggs, milk, and butter. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
3. Fill liners: Spoon the batter into liners, filling each about ¾ full.
4. Bake for 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting

1. Make the frosting: Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Divide and colour: Transfer 1½ cups of frosting to a separate bowl and tint it neon pink. Colour the remaining frosting black.
3. Base layer: Using a medium cookie scoop, place a mound of black frosting on each cupcake. Gently press the cupcake upside down against a flat surface to flatten the frosting into a thick disk.
4. Chill: Freeze the frosted cupcakes for about 10 minutes to firm up.
5. Add sprinkles: Roll the chilled frosting in a mix of black and silver sprinkles.
6. Pipe the swirl: Fill a large piping bag with pink frosting on one side and black frosting on the other. Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake.
7. Finish: Press a fondant skull into the centre of each swirl. Top with pink skull sprinkles for extra flair