Halloween Broken Glass Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes

When it comes to the Halloween season, nothing screams spooky and delicious like these Halloween Broken Glass Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes.

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or just looking for fun, eerie treats to share with family, these cupcakes bring the perfect blend of sweetness and fright to your table. With the delicious swirl of strawberry pie filling and a candy glass shard for that broken glass effect, these treats are sure to impress. Best of all, you don’t need difficult techniques to master this recipe—it’s as simple as following the steps for a sweet treat that’s both creative and hauntingly fun!

Can I use fresh strawberries instead of pie filling?

Fresh strawberries are not recommended for this recipe as they don’t provide the same syrupy consistency. If you’d like to use fresh strawberries, consider making a strawberry sauce first.

How do I know when my sugar glass is ready?

The sugar mixture is ready when it reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer.

How far in advance can I make the cupcakes?

The cupcakes can be baked and frosted up to 8 hours ahead of time. Any longer and the candy shards may lose their shine, so it’s best to serve them on the same day.

Halloween Broken Glass Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes ingredients

Ingredients Needed

White Cake Mix: The base for our cupcakes, offering a light and fluffy texture.

Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and richness to the batter.

Eggs: Give structure and stability to the cupcakes.

Strawberry Pie Filling: The sweet swirl of strawberry adds a fruity, gory effect, perfect for Halloween.

Powdered Sugar: Provides the sweet base for the buttercream frosting.

Unsalted Butter: Gives a creamy texture to the frosting, ensuring it pipes perfectly.

Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of both the frosting and cupcakes.

Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the frosting.

Water, Corn Syrup, Sugar, and Cream of Tartar: These come together to make the sugar glass shards that add the broken glass effect.

Strawberry Pie Filling Gel: Drizzled over the glass shards for a realistic “edible blood” look.

Halloween Broken Glass Strawberry Swirl Cupcake broken open

Substitutions

Strawberry Pie Filling: Raspberry or cherry pie filling also works well for the “edible blood” effect.
Cake Mix: Use a vanilla or chocolate cake mix if you prefer a different base flavor for your cupcakes.
Corn Syrup: For a different look, you can swap light corn syrup for dark corn syrup in the glass shards, though the shards will have a caramel tint instead of clear.

Halloween Broken Glass Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with baking cups. Spritz the baking cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the cake according to the package directions.
Using a large scoop, fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full.
Spoon one strawberry and about ½ teaspoon of the pie filling jelly into the middle of each cupcake. Swirl slightly with a toothpick or knife.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick in the center returns clean. Place the muffin tins on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes prior to removing the cupcakes to cool completely.
To make the frosting: To the powdered sugar, stir in the salt and set aside. Beat the butter on high for 3 to 5 minutes or until creamy and light in color. Mix in the vanilla. Add the sugars and whipping cream, beating on low until the sugar is incorporated and then switching to high speed and scraping down the sides as needed. Beat the frosting until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir slightly to remove air pockets.
Transfer the icing into a decorating bag with a star tip and frost with a circular pattern around each cupcake.
To make the glass: Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, stir together the water, corn syrup, sugar, and cream of tartar. Place over medium-high heat and while stirring constantly bring the mixture to a boil. Continue boiling the mixture until it reaches 300 degrees, or hard ball stage.
Immediately pour the syrup onto the prepared baking sheet. Exercise caution when moving the baking sheet as it will be hot. Allow the syrup to cool completely into a solid.
Then, strike the candy with the back of a metal spoon or butterknife to crack into large shards.
Press the shards of candy glass into the cupcakes and then drizzle with the strawberry pie filling gel.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if served within 8 hours.