Recipes and Cooking Cauldron Cupcakes Be the first to rate & review! Hollow out the centers of chocolate Halloween cupcakes and fill with green-colored vanilla pudding for silly, spooky cupcakes that will be the star of your holiday dessert display. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 20, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Kritsada Panichgul Start To Finish Time: 1 hrs Servings: 12 Yield: 12 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 4-serving-size package vanilla pudding and pie filling mix Green food coloring 1 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling (about 10 cookies) 12 2.5 inch baked chocolate cupcakes 1 cup Chocolate Butter Frosting or canned chocolate frosting 1 tube green decorating gel Small green candies, such as candy-coated chocolate pieces, nonpareils, or jimmies Black licorice laces 1 recipe Cauldron Stirrers Chocolate Butter Frosting ¾ cup softened butter ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cup powdered sugar ½ cup milk 2 teaspoon vanilla 6 cup powdered sugar Milk Cauldron Stirrers ½ cup semisweet chocolate pieces ½ teaspoon shortening 12 pretzel sticks Directions Prepare pudding mix according to package directions, except stir in several drops of green food coloring with the milk until desired color is reached. Chill as directed. Meanwhile, place crushed sandwich cookies in a shallow dish. If necessary, remove paper bake cups from chocolate cupcakes. Using a spoon or sharp knife, hollow out centers of cupcakes to form cauldron shapes, leaving 1/2 inch around the edges and about 1 inch on the bottom of each. Spread Chocolate Butter Frosting on the sides of cupcakes. Holding a cupcake by the top over the dish, sprinkle cookie crumbs around the base to coat. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting around the top rims of cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs; shake off excess. Spoon a generous tablespoon of the green vanilla pudding into the center of each cupcake. Decorate pudding with decorating gel and sprinkle with small green candies. Cut twenty-four 3-inch lengths of licorice. Using two licorice pieces for each cupcake, push the ends of licorice pieces into opposite sides of each cupcake rim to make a handle. Press one Cauldron Stirrer at an angle into each cupcake. Makes 12 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes. Chocolate Butter Frosting In a very large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in an additional 6 cups powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach spreading consistency. Makes enough to frost tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch layers. Cauldron Stirrers Set a wire rack over waxed paper. In a small microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate pieces and shortening. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 10 seconds. Place a pretzel stick on the tines of a fork. Spoon melted chocolate over pretzel to coat completely. Place pretzel on rack. Repeat with the remaining pretzel sticks and the remaining melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is set. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 412 Calories 15g Fat 67g Carbs 5g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 412 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15g 19% Saturated Fat 8g 40% Cholesterol 53mg 18% Sodium 328mg 14% Total Carbohydrate 67g 24% Total Sugars 51g Protein 5g Vitamin C 0.6mg 3% Calcium 90.9mg 7% Iron 1.8mg 10% Potassium 189mg 4% Folate, total 28.2mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.