Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Still looking for that last minute Halloween dessert? These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes are made from scratch with the perfect decoration: MUMMY faces. Take a simple dessert and make it spooky with this easy recipe!

Use this easy cupcake base in delicious Cranberry Cupcakes too for Christmas. Or go the other directions and make these rich and decadent Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes for the chocolate lover in your life!

Halloween Cupcakes

Everyone loves an adorable cupcake and everyone loves Halloween.

Combine the two and you get these fun, easy and downright delicious Vanilla Bean Cupcakes decorated to look like mummies!

Candy Eyeballs make every treat more fun! You swirl icing on top of each little cupcake, then dot them with eye balls and wind up with a mummy-inspired Halloween cupcake!

Or, just skip the decorations and make them any time you need a simple but extraordinary vanilla cupcake recipe.

You may have seen these mummies on my Snickerdoodle Blondies and my Monster Sugar Cookies. It’s such an easy technique!

PRO TIP: Get festive and make a batch for 4th of July. Add blue frosting and sprinkles for a fun Red White and Blue Cupcake Recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Egg whites – This is how you achieve a crumb that’s light as air while still holding its shape in the cupcake liner.
• Cake flour – More refined and with less gluten (protein) than all purpose flour, cake flour makes these cupcakes so delicate and airy!
• Vanilla bean paste- Rodelle vanilla bean paste imbibes the cupcakes with the most aromatic and rich vanilla flavor! I use it in both the batter and the frosting. While you can do various substitutes to replicate the flavor, it’s tough to mimic the texture of vanilla bean paste in the frosting.
• Sugar – Use Vanilla Sugar for even more great taste!
• Milk – Buttermilk is perfect, or whole milk. Use my buttermilk substitute if needed.
• Candy eye balls – The easiest way to add a zany touch to any cupcake or cookie. Find these online or at a big craft store (think Michael’s or Joanne Fabrics). I found mine at Target!

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1. Prepare the cupcakes

Whisk together the vanilla bean paste, egg whites and buttermilk in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer, then add the dry ingredients. Beat in the egg mixture and a little more milk until everything is combined.

STEP 2. Bake

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner about 2/3 of the way full with the cupcake batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes, then let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

STEP 3. Make the frosting

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the vanilla frosting by beating butter with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy.

STEP 4. Mummy stripes

To make the mummy stripes, I filled my pastry bag with the frosting then used wilton tip 48 to pipe it onto the top of the cupcakes. I alternated my stripes with the smooth side and the basket weave side to give the mummy stripes texture. Feel free to get creative here!

Once all the cupcakes are “striped”, add the candy eyeballs to the top of each cupcake to complete your “mummies.”

I just love how the simple addition of stripes and candy eyes makes a regular vanilla cupcake looks festive for Halloween!

Tips and Tricks

• Storing: Keep your cooled and frosted cupcakes covered at room temperature. They taste best if eaten within 2 – 3 days.
• Be sure to beat the batter for 2 or 3 minutes in your stand mixer before baking. This gets everything incorporated and whips a bit of air into the cupcakes!
• If you can’t find tiny candy eyeballs, you can use mini chocolate chips to make “eyes.”

Recipe FAQs

More Halloween Recipes

• Spooky Brookies: easy layered treats for Halloween!
• Halloween 7 Layer Dip – all decked out for the holiday
• Monster Cookie Dough Fudge
• Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats
• Peanut Butter Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
• Halloween Meatloaf

Easy Cupcake Recipes

See all Cupcake recipes

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Frosting

Copycat Hostess Cupcakes

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Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

4.75 from 4 votes

By: Aimee

These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes are made from scratch with the perfect decoration: MUMMY faces. Take a simple dessert and make it spooky with this easy recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Cupcakes:

• ▢ 5 large egg whites room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste
• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 ½ cups cake flour
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the frosting:

• ▢ 1 ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 4 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons milk
• ▢ 48 candy eyes

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Instructions 

• For the cake, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla bean paste and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg mixture, beating until fully incorporated. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Turn mixer on high and beat for 2 minutes.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake in a 350 degree oven for 17-18 minutes, until set (will begin to lightly brown on edges). Remove and cool completely before frosting.
• For the frosting, beat butter for 5 minutes until pale in color. Add sugar, vanilla bean paste and milk. Beat an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Pipe onto cupcakes by filling pastry bag and using tip 48, pipe “stripes” onto top of cupcakes. Add candy eyes. ENJOY!

Notes

• Storing: Keep your cooled and frosted cupcakes covered at room temperature. They taste best if eaten within 2 – 3 days.
• Be sure to beat the batter for 2 or 3 minutes in your stand mixer before baking. This gets everything incorporated and whips a bit of air into the cupcakes!
• If you can’t find tiny candy eyeballs, you can use mini chocolate chips to make "eyes."

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 391kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 135mg, Sugar: 40g

Course: Cupcake

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes are ANYTHING but boring when you dress them up like spooky mummies! Make your Halloween even more delicious this year when you whip up a batch of these tasty treats.