Octopus cupcakes make your tropical ocean party so easy. Topping the cupcakes with a candy octopus not only makes them super easy but also super cute.
These octopus cupcakes are perfect for your child’s birthday party, pool party or just because they are fun treat day. They come together quick and easily with a box cake mix and require no decorating skills to create. Perfect for your son’s pirate party or a girl’s mermaid party.
MORE FUN CUPCAKE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Strawberry Milk Cupcake Recipe | Rainbow Colorful Cupcakes | Teddy Bear Cupcakes
What We Love About This Recipe
Fun, whimsical cupcakes do not have to be hard to be a hit. These easy cupcakes are a great way to celebrate a birthday party or summer splash event.
- 30 Minute Dessert: Easy, quick and adorable.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry.
- Family Friendly: They are so cute no one will be able to resist. Plus it’s easy for the kids to help make.
- Adaptable: Can make it low-carb or sugar free.
Ingredient Notes
- White Cake Mix: Truly, you can use any flavor of cake mix for this recipe, chose your favorite. Also you will need to have the ingredients to prepare per package instructions.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Two containers of store bought frosting.
- Gel Food Coloring: Blue to replicate the ocean.
- Gummy Octopus: Trolli makes a gummy: Trolli Sour Brite Octopus Gummy
Equipment Needed
- KitchenAid Classic Mixing Bowls
- OCTAVO 5 Speed Hand Mixer Electric
- Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick Bakeware Standard Muffin and Cupcake Pan, 12-Cup Baking Pan
- Caperci Standard White Cupcake Liners 500 Count,
- Cooling Rack
How to Make Octopus Cupcakes
These are the basic steps for making Octopus cakes. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and nutritional information.
STEP 1: PREP
First, preheat the oven and line your cupcake tins. Then make cake mix following the instructions on the box. Fill cupcake tins and bake following directions. Allow to cool thoroughly.
STEP 2: FROSTING
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add both containers of cream cheese frosting. Add the blue gel food coloring, and mix with a mixer until combined and the frosting is colored blue.
STEP 3: DECORATE
Finally, frost the cupcakes and top with the octopus.
Prep and Storage Tips for Octopus Cupcakes
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
You can bake cupcakes up to two days ahead; arrange them (unfrosted) on a baking sheet, wrap the whole sheet with plastic wrap and store at room temperature or in an airtight container. Before you are ready to serve, decorate as described in the recipe card.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
To freeze, arrange unfrosted cupcakes on a baking sheet and wrap the whole sheet in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze up to three months. When ready to serve, place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and then decorate as described in the recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sugar free or gluten free cake mixes can be used for this recipe to meet your dietary requirements.
Of course, Duncan Hines makes a blue velvet cake mix, use gel food coloring to dye your cake mix blue or create your own recipe.
Indeed, this recipe can make mini cupcakes, simply use the appropriate tin and decorate as usual.
Truly it is easy to make your own. For example, use marshmallows for the body and gummy worms for the tentacles. Or make your octopus out of fondant. However, the gummy ones are cute and are much easier.
Expert Tips for Making This Octopus Cupcake Recipe
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: A great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split it into several cupcake trays before baking.
- Add Sprinkles: Sea inspired sprinkles with shell add a real fun twist.
- Fish: Feel free to add gummy fish or sharks to your cupcakes.
- Variation tip: Sea themed cupcake liners are a fun way to decorate these cupcakes.
- Alternate ingredient: Add an additional egg to your cake mix to make a more professional mix.
What to Serve with this Unique Cupcake Recipes
- Hawaiian Punch
- Swedish Red Fish
- Mermaid Snack Mix
Did you try this recipe?
⭐ Click below to leave a review and rating! ⭐
Octopus Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix, plus ingredients from the back of the box
- 2 cream cheese frosting, 2 containers
- 12 gel food coloring, drop blue
- 24 gummies, Octopus
Instructions
- Prepare the cupcakes according to the directions on the back of the box. After baking, allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add both containers of cream cheese frosting. Add the blue gel food coloring, and mix with a mixer until combined and the frosting is colored blue. If needed, you can add additional food coloring to get the shade desired.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, add frosting to a piping bag, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Top each cupcake with a gummy octopus.
Expert Tips
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: A great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split into several cupcake trays before baking.
- Add Sprinkles: Sea inspired sprinkles with shell add a real fun twist.
- Fish: Feel free to add gummy fish or sharks to your cupcakes.
- Variation tip: Sea themed cupcake liners are a fun way to decorate these cupcakes.
- Alternate ingredient: Add an additional egg to your cake mix to make a more professional mix.
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
These are darling! What a fun way to decorate a cupcake for an “under the sea” themed party!
Omg these are so adorable! My daughter loved them:)
This is so easy to make and really cute! Highly recommended! For sure, I will have this again! Thanks a bunch for sharing! Loved it!
These octopus candy cupcakes will be great for a beach party theme.
I love how creative this cupcake is and so delicious!
This was such a fun treat for the kids!