You will love this recipe for Candy Corn Cupcake Cake if you want something cute and Halloween ready without spending all day in the kitchen. This pull apart cupcake cake looks like a giant piece of candy corn; it starts with a simple box mix and ends up looking like you picked it up from a bakery. It is perfect for parties, office treat tables, school events or a cozy Halloween movie night at home. If you have been searching for Halloween cupcakes ideas that are low stress but high impact, this one is going straight to the top of your list.
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Ingredients for Candy Corn Cupcake Cake
For the cupcakes
- 1 box white cake mix
- Water, oil and eggs as listed on the cake mix box
- Cupcake liners
For the buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter; softened
- 3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- Orange food coloring
- Yellow food coloring
For decorating and assembly
- Piping bag
- Large star piping tip (such as Wilton 1M or similar)
- 1 large rectangular cake board or serving board
How to Make Candy Corn Cupcake Cake
Bake the cupcakes
1. Preheat your oven according to your cake mix box directions.
2. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners.
3. Prepare the white cake mix as instructed on the box.
4. Fill each cupcake liner about two thirds full.
5. Bake according to the time given for cupcakes on the box; usually 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting.
You will need enough cupcakes to form a triangle or pyramid that looks like a piece of candy corn. Usually, one box mix gives me 18 cupcakes, so I used 15 for my candy corn cake.
Divide and color the buttercream
Candy corn has three layers; yellow at the base, orange in the center and white on top. Try to mirror that with the frosting, but if you’re unsure, err on the side of making more yellow or white, because you can always make either of those orange. However, if you have too much orange, you can’t make that yellow or white.
1. Beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a hand mixer or stand mixer until a smooth, fluffy frosting forms. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to reach a thick, spreadable consistency.
2. Divide the frosting into three bowls, but in uneven amounts.
- Large portion: orange
- Medium portion: yellow
- Smallest portion: white (I only had 1 white cupcake in mine)
3. Leave the smallest bowl white; set aside.
4. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the medium bowl. Mix until evenly colored.
5. Add orange food coloring to the largest bowl and mix until you have a vibrant candy corn orange.
Arrange the cupcakes in a candy corn shape
1. Arrange the cupcakes in a triangle or pyramid shape that mimics a piece of candy corn.
2. Add a tiny dab of frosting to the bottom of each cupcake liner; this helps them stick to the board.
3. Re-stick the cupcakes to the board in their candy corn formation. You can chill the cake board with the cupcakes in the fridge for a few minutes to make sure everything sets.
Pipe the yellow base
1. Fit your piping bag with the large star tip.
2. Fill the bag with the yellow buttercream.
3. Starting at the bottom row of cupcakes, pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake in that row.
4. If you have a taller triangle and want more yellow, you can frost the bottom two rows in yellow.
Pipe the orange center
1. Rinse the piping tip or switch to a clean one; then refill the piping bag with orange buttercream.
2. Pipe swirls of orange on the middle rows of cupcakes; this will be your largest section.
3. Try to keep the swirls touching each other; when you are done, the whole triangle will read as one big piece instead of separate cupcakes.
Pipe the white tip
1. Add the white buttercream to a clean piping bag fitted with the same star tip.
2. Pipe swirls on the very top cupcake or top row of cupcakes. If you want more white, you can also frost the row just below the top.
At this point your Candy Corn Cupcake Cake is ready to serve. You can keep it at room temperature for the day, or loosely cover and chill if you are making it ahead. I like to chill for a bit so that the frosting sets.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skimp out on the cake board. You’ll definitely want a larger, rectangular cake board to make sure everything fits. In general, you want some extra buffer space around the outside of your cake board so it’s easy to transport your cupcake cake.
- Keep the shape neat. Lay out the cupcakes in rows without frosting first. Once you like the triangle shape, then stick them down with a dab of frosting. It is much easier to move plain cupcakes than fully frosted ones.
- Get those candy corn colors just right. Start with a tiny amount of food coloring and build up. Gel colors give a bold look without thinning the frosting, which is helpful for clean swirls. I like the gel food coloring from Michael’s.
- Make it ahead. Bake the cupcakes a day before and store them in an airtight container. Frost and assemble on the day you plan to serve. This keeps the cupcakes moist and gives you more breathing room.
- Transporting to a party. Choose a sturdy cake board or even a flat baking sheet covered with parchment. Place the board in a large box, then prop the sides with kitchen towels so it cannot slide around in the car.
FAQs
How many cupcakes do I need for a cupcake cake?
For a medium sized Candy Corn Cupcake Cake, I like to use about 15 cupcakes. For a large party, you can use up to 28 and make the triangle wider and taller.
Can I use a different cake flavor instead of white?
Yes. Vanilla, yellow or even funfetti cake mix all work. I prefer a light colored cake so it feels more candy corn themed, but chocolate will still taste amazing.
Can I use canned frosting instead of homemade buttercream?
You can. Homemade buttercream holds its shape better for piping, but if you are short on time, grab 2 to 3 cans of white frosting, tint them, add a bit of extra powdered sugar (to make it firmer) and pipe as directed. If the canned frosting feels too soft, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes before piping.
How far in advance can I make this?
You can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and store them covered at room temperature. Frost and assemble the cupcake cake the day you plan to serve. Once frosted, it can sit at room temperature for several hours. If your kitchen is very warm, you can refrigerate it; then let it sit out 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Does this need to be refrigerated?
Buttercream with this ratio of sugar to butter is usually fine at room temperature for a day. For longer storage, refrigerate, then bring back to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens.
I love how this Candy Corn Cupcake Cake is cute, colorful, fast and starts with simple cake mix desserts that you probably already have in your pantry. The candy corn colors feel so fun and instantly give that Halloween vibe without a lot of decorating skills. If you have been collecting Halloween cupcakes ideas but want something that truly fits into a busy schedule, this is the one to save.
Serve it at your next fall get together, bring it to the office or surprise your friends for a movie night. Everyone gets their own cupcake, you skip the knife and plates, and you still get the look of a show stopping centerpiece.
Candy Corn Cupcake Cake
Equipment
- 1 cake board a large, rectangular one works best
- 3 Piping bags or 1 reusable one
- 1 Star piping tip I like the Wilton 1M tip
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 box white cake mix
- water, oil and eggs in the amounts listed on the cake mix box
- Cupcake liners
For the buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
- Orange food coloring
- Yellow food coloring
Instructions
Bake the cupcakes
- Preheat your oven according to your cake mix box directions. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Prepare the white cake mix as instructed on the box.
- Fill each cupcake liner about two thirds full.
- Bake according to the time given for cupcakes on the box; usually 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting.
- You will need enough cupcakes to form a triangle or pyramid that looks like a piece of candy corn. Usually, one box mix gives me 18 cupcakes, so I used 15 for my candy corn cake.
Make the frosting
- Candy corn has three layers; yellow at the base, orange in the center and white on top. Try to mirror that with the frosting, but if you’re unsure, err on the side of making more yellow or white, because you can always make either of those orange. However, if you have too much orange, you can’t make that yellow or white.
- Beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a hand mixer or stand mixer until a smooth, fluffy frosting forms. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to reach a thick, spreadable consistency.
- Divide the frosting into three bowls, but in uneven amounts.- Large portion: orange-Medium portion: yellow-Smallest portion: white (I only had 1 white cupcake in mine)
- Leave the smallest bowl white and set aside.
- Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the medium bowl. Mix until evenly colored.
- Add orange food coloring to the largest bowl and mix until you have a vibrant candy corn orange.
Arrange the cupcakes in a candy corn shape
- Arrange the cupcakes in a triangle or pyramid shape that mimics a piece of candy corn.
- Add a tiny dab of frosting to the bottom of each cupcake liner; this helps them stick to the board.
- Re-stick the cupcakes to the board in their candy corn formation. You can chill the cake board with the cupcakes in the fridge for a few minutes to make sure everything sets.
Pipe the yellow base
- Fit your piping bag with the large star tip.
- Fill the bag with the yellow buttercream.
- Starting at the bottom row of cupcakes, pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake in that row.
- If you have a taller triangle and want more yellow, you can frost the bottom two rows in yellow.
Pipe the orange center
- Rinse the piping tip or switch to a clean one; then fill a new piping bag (or wash out a reusable one and fill that) with orange buttercream.
- Pipe swirls of orange on the middle rows of cupcakes; this will be your largest section.
Pipe the white tip
- Add the white buttercream to a clean piping bag fitted with the same star tip.
- Pipe swirls on the very top cupcake or top row of cupcakes. If you want more white, you can also frost the row just below the top.
- At this point your Candy Corn Cupcake Cake is ready to serve. You can keep it at room temperature for the day, or loosely cover and chill if you are making it ahead. I like to chill for a bit so that the frosting sets.
