Between classes, midterms and student organization meetings and events, it's hard to get into the Halloween spirit as a college student. With limited time and funds, it's difficult to go all out.

This recipe is easy enough to make in a dorm or apartment kitchen and uses few and inexpensive ingredients. The total cost of all the ingredients added up to around $12. Just substitute the amount you'd spend on candy and make a delicious and festive treat to bring to your Halloween celebration. 

And for all the candy corn haters out there, it's mostly used in the presentation, giving only subtle actual candy corn flavors.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

  • Prep Time:10 mins
  • Cook Time:20 mins
  • Total Time:30 mins
  • Servings:18
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 3 large eggs whites
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tub vanilla frosting
  • 1 small bag candy corn
  • Food coloring
pumpkin, vegetable, squash
Photo by Vitoria Freitas

  • Step 1

    Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 350°F.

    egg, milk, dairy product
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 2

    Combine cake mix, oil, and egg whites.

    flour, milk, cream, dairy product, egg, dough, sweet, batter, bread
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 3

    Separate batter into two bowls and add food coloring to make one bowl of batter orange and the other yellow.

    egg, milk, sweet, egg yolk, cream, dairy product, yolk
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 4

    Spoon the yellow batter into a baking cup lined with a cupcake liner, about 1/3 of the way.

    cake, sweet, chocolate
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 5

    Spoon orange batter on top of the yellow layer until the cup is about 2/3 full of batter.

    sweet, cake, pastry, muffin, cream, cookie, candy
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 6

    Bake for 18-21 minutes.

    cake, cupcake, pastry, sweet, muffin
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 7

    While the cupcakes cool, crush up candy corn in a small plastic bag.

    tomato, pizza, sauce, salsa
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 8

    Combine the candy corn pieces and frosting.

    cream, sweet, milk, caramel
    Photo by Jamie Gentges

  • Step 9

    Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them with the candy corn frosting and top with a piece of candy corn.

    pumpkin, vegetable, squash
    Photo by Vitoria Freitas

One fun fact about candy corn is that there are more versions of candy corn besides the traditional Halloween. Other versions are produced for holidays like Thanksgiving ("Indian corn"), Christmas ("Reindeer corn"), Valentine's Day ("Cupid corn"), Easter ("Bunny corn"), and Independence Day ("Freedom corn") all with their respective theme colors.

So by modifying the food coloring used, this recipe can be used for many major holidays. Get excited!