Kid-approved thrills baked right into every bite!

October’s magic lives in glittering jack-o’-lanterns, too-much candy, and sticky fingers clutching flashlights on chilly trick-or-treat walks. These Monster Mash Coca-Cola Cupcakes deliver that same spooky-sweet joy—no creepy ingredients, just moist chocolate cakes made impossibly fluffy with classic Coca-Cola, then topped with neon frosting and googly-eyed grins. Let the kiddos whisk, swirl, and decorate; the messier the better, because edible monsters are supposed to look delightfully wonky!

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup Coca-Cola Classic (room temp)
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp each baking soda & baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ⅓ cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk (plus more as needed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring in green, purple & orange

Decorations

• Candy eyeballs
• Optional: mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, pretzel sticks (for creepy “arms”)

Equipment

• 12-cup muffin tin & paper liners
• Two mixing bowls & whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Cooling rack
• Piping bags or zip-top bags with a corner snipped

Directions

1. Preheat & prep. Heat oven to 350 °F / 175 °C. Line muffin tin with festive liners; little hands love choosing the patterns.
2. Whisk the batter. In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl whisk Coca-Cola, oil, egg, and vanilla until foamy. Pour wet into dry and whisk just until you no longer see flour streaks—batter will be thin.
3. Bake. Divide evenly among liners (they’ll be about two-thirds full). Bake 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to rack to cool completely—important so monster faces don’t melt!
4. Color the frosting. Beat butter until creamy; mix in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until fluffy. Split frosting into three bowls and tint vibrant Halloween shades. If it’s too thick, add tiny splashes of milk; too thin, sprinkle in more sugar.
5. Decorate like mad scientists. Scoop each color into its own piping bag. Swirl frosting high on cooled cupcakes, then press on candy eyes, sprinkle “warts,” or stick pretzel “antennae.” Encourage kids to invent their own creatures—no two monsters should match.
6. Serve & scare happily. Arrange cupcakes on a platter next to a cooler of mini Coke cans and watch pint-sized ghouls devour them before the doorbell rings again. These treats stay moist for two days, so make them the day before Halloween for stress-free spooky snacking.

Happy haunting—and happy baking!