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These cute Witches’ Brew Halloween Cupcakes are easy to make and delicious thanks to my helpful tips on how to make a cake mix taste like homemade. They are bubbling over with ultra creamy butter cream frosting and topped with candy sprinkles and a pretzel broom handle!

I love fun Halloween Treats… and I love the movie Hocus Pocus!

I wanted to make a dessert that would remind me of Winifred and her sisters.  There’s no witches’ like the Sanderson Sisters! What could be better than a boiling cauldron full of eyeballs, bats, and bones!

Granted, I wouldn’t want the Sanderson Sisters cooking for me… I mean…they use rat tails!  (I don’t do rats…or any other kind of rodent!) My “cauldrons” are filled with moist chocolate cake and topped with candy!

How to make a cake mix taste like homemade

Granted, we all love homemade cake…but sometimes we just need a quick, easy cake. That doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice flavor or texture. (Gasp! We would never do that!)

There are several additions you can make to a boxed cake mix to make it moist and flavorful. Just like homemade. You can use one suggestion… or all of them. I used all of them in these Halloween cupcakes. They created a moist flavorful cupcake.

• Add another egg. Most cake mixes call for 3 eggs. Add a fourth.
• Add a small package of instant pudding.
• Substitute whole milk or buttermilk for the water. I like to use buttermilk. It makes for a really moist and dense cake.

NOTE: Make sure that you still add the oil to your cake mix.

Add your cake mix to the bowl of your mixer. Add one extra egg for a total of 4 eggs.

I switched the water for buttermilk, and added one package of instant pudding. You can add any flavor. It doesn’t need to be chocolate with chocolate cake mix. I went with Coconut.  It was excellent!

Mix at medium speed for 2–3 minutes or per the box instructions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 1–2 minutes.

TIP: Do not over beat the cake as it will add too much air to your batter and can cause your cake to fall in the center. 

Line the muffin tin with black paper liners. These are the “cauldron’s”! 

Fill the muffin lined baking tin cups 2/3 full.

Bake in the preheated 350° oven for 18–20 minutes until the cakes spring back in the center when pushed. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cake rack.

Make Ultra Creamy Buttercream Frosting by placing ½ cup of shortening and ½ cup of softened butter in a mixer bowl with 4 cups of powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla…mix on low-speed and gradually add 3 oz. of heavy whipping cream until smooth.

PRO-Tip: If the frosting is too thick, add more whipping cream in a tablespoon until the desired consistency can be obtained.

ADD green food coloring to tint the frosting. Yes! I know my frosting looks gray…but I promise it’s green! Granted Puke Green…but this is a judgment free zone! (Puke goes with witches’ brew! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!)

This frosting is EPIC! You won’t find a better buttercream! I’m just throwing it down and owning it! (Cause that’s what humble people do! I feel serious repenting on my horizon! AGAIN!)

Let’s get to the FUN part of this treat… Decorating! I truly love to decorate cakes.  This was a fun treat to make.

Place frosting in a decorator’s tube with a circle tip (#12), or in a plastic bag with the end cut off so that you can pipe dots onto each cupcake.

Start with a base of larger dots. Don’t worry if they don’t cover the top of the entire cupcake. You’re going to add more dots to give the “boiling cauldron” a more three-dimensional look.

Change the tip out for a smaller circle (Tip #9), or add frosting to another bag with a smaller cut at the end for smaller dots.

Go back and fill all the empty spots with smaller dots resting on top of the larger and drag dots down the side of the wrapper to make it look like the mixture is boiling over.

Place the pretzel stick into the bubbling cauldron for the witches’ handle. Place at an angle, so it looks like it’s leaning against the edge of the pot.

Now for Sprinkle Time! (This is different from when your potty training your two-year-old!) 

I bought the Wilton Halloween Creepy Sprinkles Lab Set.

Start with the Green Balls for additional “bubbles”. Add the candy eyes. They are sold separately at Walmart in the cake decorating aisle.

Add the candy, “bones”,” bats”…

I wanted to add a little “color” so I sprinkled the purple and black jimmies on the Wilton decor set. (Why does my green frosting look gray? UGH!) 

Aren’t these darling Halloween Cupcakes? I think the Sanderson Sisters would be proud to make their “youthful” potion in these little pots of YUM!

Thanks to the additions in the cake mix, the cupcakes are moist and flavorful. That buttercream is just luscious…even for a wicked brew!

These little cauldrons of cake are the perfect treat for your Halloween Party this year!

Brew up this tasty treat for all your little spooks and goblins! Enjoy!

Remember you can always follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram! I’d love to have you join me!

Other Family Favorite Halloween Recipes

• Spooky Halloween Seven Layer Taco Dip
• Hot Dog Mummies in a Graveyard
• Halloween Caramel Chocolate Pretzels
• Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Dinner in a Pumpkin
• Haunted Gingerbread House

Happy Nesting!

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