Name: The Easiest Witch Hat Cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 cupcakes; 2 ½ cups vanilla frosting; 1 ¾ cups chocolate frosting; Wilton color right food coloring in yellow, blue and black; Wilton 127 tip; Ateco 809 tip; Sprinkles

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No need to break out the fondant because these witch hats are pure frosting goodness! Whether you’re throwing a Halloween party for the kids or just throwing it down at the office potluck, these cupcakes are sure to delight ghouls both big and small! And with the help of some store-bought frosting and cupcakes, they come together in just 30 minutes.

three witch hat cupcakes on a plate with a skull and another cupcake in the background

Disclaimer: Wilton provided me with some of the products I used to make these cupcakes, but all words and thoughts are my own.

You guys know that I love a good fondant creation now and again. But I think we all know that fondant is ex-pen-sive and most people just peel it off anyway. Ain’t nobody got time to make stuff people aren’t even going to eat! Also, who doesn’t want more frosting in their life?!

Which is exactly why you’re going to LOVE these all-frosting witch hat cupcakes. They have all the cuteness of those fondant witch hat cupcakes but with none of the extra work. Plus, you know, they’ve got lots of frosting going for them.

Prefer to watch the process?

How to make witch hat cupcakes

These cupcakes are SO easy to make! And with the help of some store-bought frosting and cupcakes, they come together in just 30 minutes. What’s not to love about that?

Here’s how to make them:

First, you’ll need 12 cupcakes and 2 ½ cups vanilla frosting (about 1 ½ store-bought containers) and 1 ¾ cup chocolate frosting (about 1 store-bought container). Tint your frosting lime green and your chocolate frosting black.

To get this exact shade of green, I used Wilton’s color right system. It took 37 drops yellow and 4 drops blue.

Second, scoop your green frosting into a piping bag and, using a large round tip (like an Ateco 809), pipe a swirl of frosting onto the tops of each cupcake. Add some green nonpareils (like these adorable sprinkles from Wilton).

Step-by-step photos for making witch hat cupcakes

Third, scoop ⅓ of your black frosting into a piping bag with a Wilton 127 tip. With the narrow end of the tip in the center of your cupcake, turn the cupcake while piping to create the brim of the hat. Repeat for each cupcake.

Finally, scoop the remaining black frosting into a bag with a large round tip (like the Ateco 809). Pipe a large dollop of frosting in the center of the cupcakes and release the pressure as you pull up to create the tapered end of the hats.

How to make perfect witch hat cupcakes

If you haven’t worked with all-frosting creations much, no worries! Here are some expert tips to help you make these cupcakes perfectly the first time around.

A fluffy frosting pipes more easily than a thick buttercream. If you’re making your own, an Italian or French meringue buttercream work best. If you’re buying something from the store, try a “fluffy” vanilla frosting and a “creamy” chocolate frosting.
Want the same shades of frosting? Using Wilton’s color right system, I used 37 drops of yellow and 4 drops of blue for the lime green. The black took 50 drops of black.
To get really black frosting you have to add a lot of black food coloring. This will change the consistency of your frosting and may make it too soft to use initially. If this happens, simply refrigerate it for 30-45 minutes until it’s firmed up.
Fill that piping bag like a pro: Spoon your frosting onto a large piece of plastic wrap, roll and twist the ends. Trim one end so there’s about ½" in length, drop your frosting into the piping bag (short end first) with the tip already on and pipe!
Make sure you have the right piping tips for the job. Here are all of the tips I used and how I used them:
- Initial layer of green frosting: Ateco 809
- Hat brim: Wilton 127
- Hat body: Ateco 809
Storing frosted cupcakes: While cupcakes are always best when eaten the same day they’re made, these can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

one witch hat cupcake on a black cake stand against a black backdrop

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!

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