Recipe

Candy Corn Cupcakes Are the Answer to Your Halloween Dreams

By Jamie Gentges at Loyola University Chicago

Between classes, midterms and student organization meetings and events, it's hard to get into the Halloween spirit as a college student. With limited time and funds, it's difficult to go all out.

This recipe is easy enough to make in a dorm or apartment kitchen and uses few and inexpensive ingredients. The total cost of all the ingredients added up to around $12. Just substitute the amount you'd spend on candy and make a delicious and festive treat to bring to your Halloween celebration. 

And for all the candy corn haters out there, it's mostly used in the presentation, giving only subtle actual candy corn flavors.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Servings: 18
Ingredients
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 3 large eggs whites
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tub vanilla frosting
  • 1 small bag candy corn
  • Food coloring

Photo by Vitoria Freitas

Step 1

Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 350°F.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 2

Combine cake mix, oil, and egg whites.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 3

Separate batter into two bowls and add food coloring to make one bowl of batter orange and the other yellow.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 4

Spoon the yellow batter into a baking cup lined with a cupcake liner, about 1/3 of the way.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 5

Spoon orange batter on top of the yellow layer until the cup is about 2/3 full of batter.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 6

Bake for 18-21 minutes.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 7

While the cupcakes cool, crush up candy corn in a small plastic bag.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 8

Combine the candy corn pieces and frosting.

Photo by Jamie Gentges

Step 9

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them with the candy corn frosting and top with a piece of candy corn.

Photo by Vitoria Freitas

One fun fact about candy corn is that there are more versions of candy corn besides the traditional Halloween. Other versions are produced for holidays like Thanksgiving ("Indian corn"), Christmas ("Reindeer corn"), Valentine's Day ("Cupid corn"), Easter ("Bunny corn"), and Independence Day ("Freedom corn") all with their respective theme colors.

So by modifying the food coloring used, this recipe can be used for many major holidays. Get excited!