Wicked Cupcakes

Three Wicked cupcake variations, one with green frosting a witch hat, one with pink frosting and a wand, and one with pink and green swirled frosting

These rich chocolate Wicked cupcakes are topped with pink and green buttercream and playful Elphaba- and Glinda-inspired decorations for a colorful movie-themed dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 22

Cooling 30

Total Time 1 37

Servings cupcakes

Calories 408kcal

Author Wanda Simone

Equipment

electric mixer and mixing bowl
12-cup Muffin tin lined with cupcake liners
Ice cream scoop or ¼-cup measuring cup
toothpicks
wire cooling rack
piping bags
Large open star piping tip
plastic wrap

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 15.25-ounce box Devil's food cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 cup strongly brewed coffee cooled
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

For the frosting

1 cup salted butter softened
5 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
Green gel food coloring
Red or pink gel food coloring

For the decorations

4 Oreo cookies
4 dark chocolate kisses
4 strawberry pocky
Edible glitter
Pink and white candy sprinkles

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, coffee, eggs, and sour cream until just combined and no dry bits remain.
1 15.25-ounce box Devil's food cake mix, 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, 3 large eggs, ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the wells of the muffin tin.
Bake for 18 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the middle cupcakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting

While the cupcakes cool, prepare your frosting.
In a medium bowl, add the butter, powdered sugar, cream or milk and almond extract.
1 cup salted butter, 5 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, ½ teaspoon almond extract
Beat on low with a mixer until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Then increase to medium speed and beat for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Divide the frosting equally into 2 bowls.
Add the green food coloring to one bowl and the red or pink to the other bowl. Mix until the color is evenly distributed into the frosting.
Green gel food coloring, Red or pink gel food coloring

If using red gel food coloring, start with only a drop or two. Stir and then add more if the color isn't dark enough. It is much easier to make it darker than to try to lighten it after the fact.

Decorate the green cupcakes

Twist apart the Oreos and discard the side that has the frosting, keeping the side with just the cookie.
4 Oreo cookies
Add a dollop of the green frosting to the center of the cookie and top it with a chocolate kiss.
4 dark chocolate kisses
Add green frosting to a piping bag with a large tip and frost 4 of the cupcakes.
Top with a witch hat.

Decorate the pink cupcakes

Remove the strawberry Pocky from the packaging and lay them flat on a plate or paper towel.
4 strawberry pocky
Spray or brush them with the edible glitter and set aside.
Edible glitter
Add the pink frosting to a piping bag with a large tip and frost 4 more cupcakes.
Decorate with the glittered wands and the candy sprinkles.
Pink and white candy sprinkles

Decorate the pink & green cupcakes

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap.
On top of it, create two lines of frosting side by side. One with the remaining pink frosting and the other with the remaining green frosting (including any that is left in the piping bags).
Roll up the plastic like a log. You should have a roll of frosting that is half pink and half green.
Cut the bottom of the plastic wrap off to expose both colors of frosting.
Fit another piping bag with a large star tip.
Place the frosting log into the piping bag with the cut side down, and swirl the final 4 cupcakes with the frosting.

Notes

Use water instead of coffee if you prefer, although the coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor.
Vanilla extract can be used instead of almond extract, but try to find clear vanilla since the standard brown color can tint the frosting.
You can also use store-bought frosting instead of homemade if you want to save some time.

Nutrition