Ghost Cupcakes

These moist and spooky Ghost cupcakes are the perfect dessert for all ages this Halloween! Made with a delectable chocolate cupcake base and cute ghost toppings (a simple homemade 7-minute frosting), these festive cupcakes aren't just tasty but incredibly fun to make!

Best Ghost Cupcakes Recipe

If you want a fun and easy Halloween cupcake idea to decorate your dessert table this October, you have come to the right place! These eye-catching Halloween ghost cupcakes are a crowd favorite for adults and kids alike and come together in just one hour. They don't require any special ingredients or equipment, making them a breeze for even the most inexperienced bakers! 

Katalin´s Take On Halloween-Themed Cupcakes

Let´s be real. Halloween-themed desserts are often mainly about the look and less about the taste. Not this one! There are many easy ghost cupcake recipes out there, but this one is hands down one of the most moist and delicious you'll find. I don't use any boxed cake mix— everything is made 100% from scratch while keeping the recipe super simple.

Aside from the irresistible flavor, the best part about this recipe is that it is incredibly versatile. You can get creative with the decorations or mix and match the cupcake and frosting flavors to customize them. You'll love them so much that you may even be tempted to make them even after Halloween has passed!

Make The Chocolate Cupcake Batter

Before starting the batter, your egg, milk, and coffee must all be at room temperature to emulsify properly.

Start by preheating your oven to 175℃ / 347℉ (without the fan) and preparing your cupcake tin with muffin liners. 

In a large bowl, use your electric hand mixer to whip together the room-temperature eggs, vegetable oil, both types of sugar, freshly brewed room-temperature coffee (which will enhance the chocolate flavor), room-temperature whole milk (at least 3% fat), and high-quality vanilla extract. Alternatively, use a hand whisk.

Sift your dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt) together in a separate bowl. Don't skip the salt– it's essential to balance out the sweetness! 

Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Do not use a hand mixer during this step, as it will overwork the batter and result in dry, dense cupcakes.

Bake It

Use a spoon or ice cream scooper to evenly distribute the batter into each cavity of your cupcake tin until each is approximately ¾ full (you'll want to give them enough space to rise). The batter will be rather liquid, don´t worry!

Place the cupcake tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until it passes the "toothpick test" (when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).

Once thoroughly baked, transfer the baked cupcakes to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely to room temperature before proceeding with decorating!

Prepare The 7-Minute Frosting

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

Use a bit of vinegar to thoroughly wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment before you use it. This will help eliminate any hidden grease that may prevent your egg whites from properly whipping.

If you don't have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Then, mix the egg whites and granulated sugar in the double boiler bowl and whisk them constantly until the mixture reaches 160F / 71C and the sugar is completely dissolved. This part will only take about five minutes, but the temperature is the most important factor. You want to avoid scrambling the eggs!

Add the egg white and sugar mixture to the stand mixer bowl and whip at medium-high speed for a minute or so. Then, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice (or cream of tartar as an alternative).

Continue to whip the mixture for approximately 6-7 minutes until shiny, stiff peaks form. At this point, the mixer bowl should not be hot.

Last but not least, add the vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping for a few more seconds until your meringue frosting becomes fluffy and the perfect consistency for piping.

Assemble The Ghost Cupcakes

This is the fun part! Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. I like to use a 1A Round nozzle tip. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.

Finally, to make your cupcakes Halloween-ready, use edible food paint to decorate the "ghosts" with eyes and a mouth! You can use melted chocolate or black sugar pearls if you do not have edible food paint. 

Keep in mind that freshly whipped frosting has the best, fluffiest texture. However, if you can't use it immediately, it will be fine in the piping bag at room temperature for a few hours.

Storing & Freezing

These ghost cupcakes have the best flavor and moistest texture when served fresh. However, if you have leftovers or want to make them in advance, you can store them in an airtight container for up to three days.

To freeze, place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and freeze them for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature (preferably overnight) before enjoying them.

For more tips on storing your cupcakes without sacrificing freshness, see my guide on how to store cupcakes with frosting.

Flavor Variations

Feel free to put a twist on these tasty ghost cupcakes and customize them with different flavors and flavor combinations!

Instead of a plain chocolate base, you can try an Oreo base using my Oreo cupcakes recipe. Or, if you don't want chocolate cupcakes, try them with a vanilla base, as made in my mango cupcakes recipe.

Use my guide on filling cupcakes to add a delicious surprise to the center, as I do in my chocolate caramel and Biscoff recipes.

To add some crunch to the cupcakes, throw mini chocolate chips, crushed nuts, or grated coconut into the batter before baking. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar before frosting to spruce up the decoration even more.

You can also experiment with different frosting flavors! Instead of vanilla extract, try it with peppermint or coconut extract. For a citrus-flavored frosting, use lemon or orange extract. You can also kick up the flavor by adding a bit of espresso or cinnamon powder to the frosting.

To make this recipe even more fun, add a bit of green food coloring to some of the frosting and make themed Ghostbuster cupcakes!

Ingredient Substitutions

While substituting ingredients is possible, you may need to slightly reformulate the other ingredients to maintain the same flavor and texture balance.

For a gluten-free cake, use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. My flour guide also offers other gluten-free alternatives.

Unfortunately, there is no vegan substitute for this recipe, as eggs are an essential part of making the 7-minute frosting.

Expert Tips To Make The Ghost Cupcakes

1. Room-temperature ingredients are essential for blending well. I recommend letting the milk and coffee sit at room temperature for an hour before starting the recipe. Pro tip: if you combine cold milk with hot coffee, you will turn them both to room temperature quickly! To quickly bring the egg to room temperature, place it in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes.
2. Always use the toothpick test to judge the doneness of the cupcakes versus the time they take to bake. Some ovens may take longer to bake than others, and overbaking can result in dry cupcakes.
3. When making the meringue frosting, use an egg white separator to prevent the egg yolk from getting into the egg whites. If any fat mixes with the egg white, it will not whip up correctly, and you will need to start again.
4. Avoid using cartoned egg whites for the frosting, as they do not give the same fluffy result.
5. If the frosting is too thin, whip it for a few minutes longer or refrigerate it for 30 minutes to firm up.

What Equipment To Use

When baking, it's best to use a digital scale for the most accurate measurements. A digital thermometer is also recommended to ensure your oven is at the right temperature.

You will need an electric hand mixer to whip together the wet ingredients when making the cupcakes. A stand mixer works best when whipping up frosting, although you can also use your hand mixer if you don't mind the extra time and effort.

To avoid overmixing, always use a rubber spatula when instructed to fold the ingredients together.

You will need a 12-cup muffin pan for baking and a cooling rack to help your cupcakes cool evenly and thoroughly before frosting. You will need a piping bag and nozzle to make the "ghosts."

Try Some Of My Other Recipes for Halloween

If you liked this ghost cupcake recipe, you would also want to give these other easy, spooky recipes a try:

• Bloody Halloween Cupcakes
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Hand Pies
• Spooky Meringue Ghosts

For even more impressive desserts to wow your guests at your next Halloween party, check out my roundup of the Top 31 Best Halloween Desserts.

Have You Tried This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well!