Indulge your dark side with this Gothic Window Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake—a show-stopping dessert made with rich chocolate espresso cupcakes arranged in a dramatic stained-glass–inspired design. Perfect for any occasion that calls for a moody yet elegant centerpiece, this unique treat combines bold coffee-infused chocolate flavor with eye-catching decoration. Easy to share and fun to assemble, it’s the ultimate fusion of flavor and visual impact.
Just a few ingredients are needed to make this decadent dessert.
Betty Crocker™ Delights Super Moist™ Dark Chocolate Cake Mix: An easy, delicious way to make the perfect cupcakes! You can use any Betty Crocker cake flavor you like, but you may need to reconsider adding the espresso powder.
Betty Crocker™ Whipped Whipped Cream Frosting: The perfect base for additional flavors and the ingredients needed (butter and powdered sugar) to make the ideal frosting texture to create this stained glass window cupcake cake.
Jewel Toned Gel or Paste Food Coloring: For a truly moody feel, jewel toned paste or gel food coloring is essential. It can sometimes be hard to find in grocery stores, but look for them in the cake decorating aisles, at craft stores or online.
Here is how to make this stunning Gothic Window Pull- Apart Cupcake dessert. For full directions, see the recipe below.
Mix the batter according to the box directions and add espresso powder. Bake the cupcakes and allow to cool completely. You’ll know they’re cooked through if a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. You only need 14 cupcakes for this recipe. See Kitchen Tips for a suggestion on how to store and serve the extra cupcakes.
Combine the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer. Beat until smooth. Adjust the texture by adding heavy cream as needed. It should be thick but smooth enough to spread. Then divide some of the frosting into four small bowls and add food coloring so you have four colors (small bowls) and the white (larger bowl). The colors should be deep and jewel toned.
Arrange the cupcakes on a round platter or cake stand, nestling them close together. Spread the white frosting over the top of the cupcakes into an even layer. Use a clean offset spatula to “paint” the four colors of frosting over one half of the cupcakes. Use just the plum color on the on the other side, keeping the color minimal. Use Betty Crocker™ Black Cookie Icing to draw a spiderweb design over all of the cupcakes.
Here are some tips for how to store your cupcakes.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can bake the cupcakes and freeze them in a resealable freezer food storage bag, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. Bring to room temp before frosting.
With a couple simple changes, you can add your own twist to this cupcake recipe.
Change the Flavor: Try adding 1 tablespoon of orange zest instead of espresso powder to flavor the cupcakes.
Double the Fun: Make this an even bigger, more impressive display by using all 24 cupcakes instead of 14.
Play with Color: Be adventurous with the food coloring! Pick whatever strikes your fancy and play away.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Make, bake, and cool the cupcakes as directed on the package, except add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso coffee powder to the cake mix before beating. Set aside 10 of the cupcakes for a later use (see Tips).
While the cupcakes cool, beat the whipped cream frosting with the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. The frosting should be thick but spreadable. If it is too thick, add more heavy cream a teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.
Arrange 14 cooled cupcakes in a circle on a round platter or cake stand. Try to nestle them in as closely as you can to close any gaps. Add 1/4 cup of the frosting to each of 4 bowls and color each with a different food color.
Cover the top of the cupcakes with the remaining white frosting using a piping bag. Spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula or a knife. Wipe off the spatula and, starting with one of the colors, scoop a bit of frosting onto the back of the spatula and spread bits of frosting around half the circle of cupcakes. Continue with the other colors until the half is covered in an array of color. On the remaining half, repeat the process with just a few spots of plum. Wipe the spatula clean between colors.
Using your offset spatula again, very lightly smooth out the frosting so it starts to blend together and create a stained-glass appearance.
To finish the cupcakes, use the cookie icing to draw a spider web design over the stained-glass frosting. Now they’re ready to serve!
You can find a variety of gel and paste food coloring, including the jewel tones called for in this recipe, at craft stores or online. This also works beautifully with liquid food coloring easily found in the grocery store, but the colors will be more pastel.
If you’re struggling to fill in any gaps between the cupcakes, take one of the extra cupcakes and cut it into pieces then use them to fill in any empty spaces.
Freeze the extra espresso-flavored cupcakes in a resealable freezer food storage bag, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, bring them to room temperature and frost with our quick espresso frosting. Stir 1 teaspoon espresso coffee powder into 1 tub (12 oz) Betty Crocker™ Whipped Milk Chocolate Frosting, frost cupcakes as desired and top with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.
