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Home · Recipes · Halloween · Ghost Cupcakes | A Halloween Party HIT!

Published: Oct 12, 2021 by Kelly Anthony · Leave a CommentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Ghost Cupcakes | A Halloween Party HIT!

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If you're looking to show up and show out at this year's Halloween party with some adorably spooky Halloween treats in hand, you've come to the right place. These Ghost Cupcakes come together with a simple chocolate cupcake batter and a great big swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting. For the eyes, you can use either black pearl sprinkles or miniature chocolate chips!

Three ghost cupcakes on a white surface with graves behind them.

Looking for more awesome Halloween Recipes to try? Bookmark our Mummy Cupcakes in your internet browser for next time!

GHOST CUPCAKE BAKING OPTIONS

We gave these ghost cupcakes a shot with both vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. Our favorite look was chocolate, so that's the recipe we're going with today! If you have vanilla lovers in the family, feel free to switch it up!

A vanilla ghost cupcake on a white surface with a grave behind it.

If you are in a time crunch, store-bought cake mix is a fine substitute. When it comes to turning these cupcakes into Halloween cupcakes, it mostly comes down to decorating!

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GHOST CUPCAKES

To make the chocolate cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350°F and have ready 2 12-cup muffin tins lined with baking cups and spritzed with nonstick cooking spray.

And overhead shot of a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners and spritzed with oil.

Once your pan is prepared, you can move on to the dry ingredients! Mixing up the dry ingredients is super easy! All you have to do is add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt to a small or medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.

Dry ingredients in a clear mixing bowl.

For the wet ingredients, add sugar and eggs to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. If you are using your stand mixer, go ahead and fit it with your paddle attachment. If not, grab your handheld electric mixer!

Mix the eggs and sugar together until the mixture has lightened to a pale yellow color and is noticeably thicker. Then you can add in the remaining wet ingredients which consist of eggs, canola oil, and pure vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients until everything is evenly combined, and then you can begin incorporating your dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix on low, and follow that up with half of the milk. Once the milk is mixed in, you'll add the remaining dry ingredients, mix, add the remaining milk, mix one more time, and the Ghost Cupcake batter is done!

Chocolate cupcake batter in a clear mixing bowl.

Fill the prepared muffin cups just under halfway full and bake for 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking process.

Your cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

Baked chocolate cupcakes in a muffin pan.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then it's time to ice.

Note, it's very important that you allow your cupcakes to cool completely before you add any of the frosting. If you add frosting to even lukewarm cupcakes it will very likely slide right off the top!

GHOST CUPCAKES FROSTING

For this particular Halloween cupcake recipe, you're going to need lots of frosting. You want to have enough frosting on hand to make great big, tall swirls for your ghosts!

Frosting in a piping back fitted with a large round piping tip. Tip

Nothing beats homemade frosting, but if time won't allow, you can use store-bought vanilla or marshmallow frosting. Purchase 2 12-ounce containers if you're going the store-bought route.

Frosting being piped on in a swirl.

To make the frosting, add the butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl and begin mixing on low. You could also use your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Once the sugar appears mostly blended, you can crank up the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another 2 to 3 minutes. Your frosting is ready once it appears smooth, light, and fluffy!

A swirl of vanilla frosting on top of a chocolate cupcake.
A hand putting black pearl sprinkles onto a swirl of white frosting on top of a chocolate cupcake.

To ice your cupcakes you'll need a piping bag and a large round tip. Snip the end off of your piping bag and fit it with the piping tip. Add a few big scoops of the frosting into your piping bag, and twist the opposite end shut, and make great big, high-rise swirls on top of each cupcake. Finish it off with two black sugar pearl sprinkles and you're Ghost Cupcakes are officially ready to serve!

A ghost cupcake peeking out from behind a miniature grave.

6 MORE HALLOWEEN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

  • Mummy Cupcakes
  • Halloween Cake Pops
  • Halloween Brownies
  • Halloween Sugar Cookies
  • Halloween Butterfinger Blondies
  • Halloween Pretzels

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    Mummy Cupcakes | Easy Halloween Recipe

  • Halloween Cake Pop

    Halloween Cake Pops

  • Halloween Brownies

    Halloween Brownies | Three Easy Decorating Ideas

  • Halloween Sugar Cookies

    Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

  • Halloween Blondies

    Halloween Blondies Recipe

  • Halloween Pretzels

    Halloween Treat | Chocolate-Covered Halloween Pretzels

Three ghost cupcakes on a white surface with graves behind them.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Ghost Cupcakes

Ghost Cupcakes are perfect for this year's Halloween party! They come together with a simple chocolate cupcake batter, a great big swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting, and black pearl sprinkles or miniature chocolate chips for eyes!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time18 minutes mins
Total Time38 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ghost Cupcakes
Servings: 24
Calories: 270kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup whole milk

For the Frosting

  • 1 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Scant half teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Black sugar pearl sprinkles (or miniature chocolate chips)

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F, and have ready two 12-cup muffin tins lined with baking cups.
  • Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Add the sugar and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until visibly lightened in color and thickened. Add the oil and vanilla and mix until evenly incorporated.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low until evenly incorporated. Then, add half of the milk and mix again. Add the remaining dry ingredients, mix on low, and add the remaining milk. Mix until evenly incorporated. Using a spoon, scrape down the side of the bowl and mix once more. 
  • Fill the baking cups just under halfway full, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking process. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting

  • For the frosting, you will need a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl, along with the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and begin mixing on low.
  • Once the sugar is mostly incorporated, you can begin mixing on medium-high. Mix for 2 minutes more, until light and fluffy.
  • Add big scoops of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Twist the bag shut and big, high swirls onto the tops of the cupcakes. Press two black sugar pearls into the frosting for eyes, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

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« Mummy Cupcakes | Easy Halloween Recipe
Halloween Charcuterie Board | Perfect For Parties! »
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I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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