Cakes & CupcakesNo. 2433 · The 2026 edition
I Tried Making Magical Melting Candle Cupcakes for Halloween
Turn your Halloween dessert table into a spooky scene with these melting candle cupcakes that look just like real trick-or-treat candles.
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at bhg.com.
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These magical melting candle cupcakes are made by stacking frosted black cupcakes, inserting straws for candles, and finishing with a drippy ganache effect. The result is a creepy-cute treat that mimics melting wax with real birthday candles on top. Perfect for Halloween parties!
Ingredients
Directions
- Prepare and bake chocolate cupcakes from a box mix. Avoid adding mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts that could weaken the cupcakes when stacked and skewered.
- Make a sturdy black frosting by combining powdered sugar, butter, and milk. It should be spreadable but thick. Tint it with black food coloring.
- Prepare a thin ganache by melting chocolate and adding milk along with more black dye. The mixture should be very runny to mimic melting wax.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Frost the top of each cupcake and stack them. Insert a regular drinking straw into the center of each stack, trimming the straw so it is hidden under the frosting.
- Frost the entire stacked cupcake. To help the frosting set, refrigerate the cupcakes after spreading the frosting.
- Smooth the frosting using a very hot knife, running it over the surface to flatten and smooth it. Then, drip the ganache over the tops so it looks like melted wax. Insert tall thin birthday candles into the straws, pushing them down until just the tips show.
