Halloween Dream Cakes for My Trick or Treaters

I wanted to wish all my readers a happy and safe Halloween. Today I am posting a quick last minute treat. Every Halloween at our house we order pizza and I make a special Halloween treat for the kids. It's much easier to have a quick dinner before heading out to go trick or treating and the kids always want pizza that night, so it makes everyone happy. 

The special treat I made is Halloween Dream Cakes. The kids favorite thing are cupcakes so this was the first thing that came to mind. I love this cake recipe because it makes a boxed came mix taste more like a cake baked from scratch. Just three instant mixes and you will have a great tasting cake or even cupcakes.

This is the recipe I also use when the kids request a special birthday cake for that they want me to make. I used homemade butter cream frosting to frost the cupcakes. I also added orange food coloring to the cake batter and to the frosting. 

Another fun idea is to tint half of the cake mix yellow and tint the other half orange and you can have candy corn cupcakes. You could tint the frosting or just leave it plain white and then place a candy corn on top of each cupcake just like I did. 

The kids will be so excited when they see the cupcakes I am so glad I got this done a day early.  Have fun and be safe tomorrow night. I have two trick or treaters this year a Cowboy Sheriff and a Goddess Fairy. Gracie the little one we sit for is going as a Lady Bug. What will your trick or treaters be wearing?




Halloween Dream Cupcakes

1 - box duncan hines yellow cake mix (I used french vanilla)
1 - envelope Dream Whip
1 - small box Cook n Serve Pudding Mix (vanilla)
4 - large eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 - cup water

Beat all ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes. Pour into 2 well-greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans (at least 1-1/2 inches deep). Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Frost as desired. If making cupcakes use cupcakes liners and fill 3/4 full with batter. I use my ice cream scooper for even cupcakes. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack and frost.


Vanilla Butter cream Frosting

1 - sticks butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 - cup shortening
1- tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
3-4 cups powdered sugar
orange food or icing color


Cream the butter and the shortening together. Add vanilla extract and and powdered sugar a cup at a time. Then add the milk until you get the consistency you desire. Add food or icing coloring last.

Recipe from: Kraft Foods


16 comments

Laura said…
Never made cupcakes with dream whip and cook and serve pudding. I'm so gonna have to try this. Did you see that Our Best Bites made candy corn cupcakes just like you were talking about? Too cute!
Those are cute. I was going to make a cake for tomorrow but we made a black cherry kool-aid pie last night using your recipe then combine that with the candy from tonight and tomorrow and it would be too much sugar.

Edward is going to be a monkey and Phoenix is a butterfly. I think it's supposed to be a butterfly. I'll have some pictures up on facebook tonight when we get back from our downtown business sponsored trick or treating.
Sheryl said…
How fun.....Halloween always seemed to so rushed when my kids were little. Maybe I'll take some of your ideas when grandchildren come into the picture. :)
Bunny said…
The cuppies look scrumptious! I hope the kids enjoy they're night!
Sherri Murphy said…
These look so cute and the ingredients sounds delicious. Dream and pudding together...yum.
Just left a comment after yours on Sits and wanted to play the comment game they suggested. When I pulled up your site...I was happy to see I had been here many times before! You have a great blog, a lot of fun recipes I'm excited to try. I have a food blog that's only a couple weeks old and have looked to yours as a great example...I posted a cute slithering Halloween dinner idea for today, check it out if you'd like. Happy Halloween, cute post.
Melissa said…
Those look delicious and so festive! I want one! My son is dressing up as a monkey tonight - his first time trick or treating, can't wait! Have fun with your kiddos!
Catherine said…
These cupcakes look too good to eat! Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!
I'm glad you had the chance to link up on Cupcake Tuesday!
Thanks!
~Liz
Desiree and Ben said…
This looks great, I'm trying to improve my domestic ways :) but don't have much experience, can someone tell me what "Dream Whip" is? Hope I don't sound like an idiot, but I'm not afraid to admit I'm inexperienced in the kitchen
: (

Thanks! Desiree :)
Tina Butler said…
Thats ok you will never know until you ask. here is a link with a picture of what it looks like.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EQ54YQ

Dream whip comes in packets and you whip it up to make whipped topping. In the cupcake recipe you just add it dry to with the cake mix and pudding mix.
Oh my those look delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
LoveCupcakes said…
Great Collection of Cakes you Have. Impressive.
Anonymous said…
How cute and fun are these dream cakes. My 4 yr old will have fun preparing these with mommy. Can't wait for October to arrive so we can bake these!
Tammie Hill said…
Tammie said... Iam having a little party for my three kids and this will be perfect for them. I always do cupcakes for Halloween and this has a twist with the Dream Whip! Can't wait:) Thank you love what u do!
Anonymous said…
I made these cupcakes today for a school event. They are awesome. My cupcakes were perfect at 13 minutes. Thank you... I love your blog~*!!
Rachelle