Okay love, stop what you’re doing and look at these Halloween ghost cupcakes. They are SO freaking cute and I am completely obsessed. We’re talking a super tender, fudgy chocolate cupcake topped with a whipped marshmallow cream frosting that gets piped into the sweetest little ghost you have ever seen.
Here’s the best part. They look like you spent HOURS on them, and you absolutely did not. The ghost is just three squeezes of the piping bag. One big base, one medium, and one little one on top. Then I grab a tube of store-bought chocolate frosting, the kind that already comes in the piping thing, and dot on two eyes and a mouth. That’s it. That’s the whole ghost.
The chocolate cupcakes are just as easy. It’s one bowl of dry ingredients, one bowl of wet ingredients, mix, scoop, and bake. You don’t even need a mixer until it’s frosting time. If you love my Triple Chocolate Cake, these are going to be right up your alley.
These chocolate ghost cupcakes are PERFECT for Halloween parties, classroom treats, spooky movie nights, and really anything you could possibly be going to this season. Set them out next to my Spooky Ghost Chocolate Chip Cookies and you have the cutest Halloween dessert table EVER.
P.S. Make sure your cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool before you pipe. Marshmallow frosting on a warm cupcake means melted ghosts, and nobody wants that.
Ingredients Needed
- All-Purpose Flour or Cake Flour: This is the structure of your cupcake, and you need one and a half cups. All-purpose flour gives you a soft but sturdy crumb that can hold up a tall ghost of frosting. If you want an even more tender, melt in your mouth cupcake, cake flour works beautifully here too. Either way, weigh it if you can so your cupcakes do not turn out dry.
- Granulated Sugar: Three fourths of a cup sweetens the cupcakes and keeps them light. Sugar also holds onto moisture as the cupcakes bake, so they stay soft for days. It gets whisked right in with the dry ingredients, which makes this batter come together SO fast.
- Light Brown Sugar: This is where so much of the fudgy factor comes from. The molasses in brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper, almost caramel flavor that pairs so well with chocolate. You need a half cup, packed. Break up any clumps with your fingers before you whisk.
- Cocoa Powder: A fourth of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder is your chocolate flavor, so use one you love. It gives these cupcakes their rich color and that deep chocolate taste. Sift it if it looks lumpy so you do not end up with dry pockets in your batter. A dark cocoa makes the white ghosts pop even more.
- Baking Soda: This is what makes the cupcakes rise. It reacts with the buttermilk to create lift and a soft, fluffy crumb. You only need three fourths of a teaspoon, so measure it carefully. Make sure yours is fresh, because old baking soda means flat cupcakes.
- Fine Grain Salt: Salt is the secret to making chocolate taste like MORE chocolate. A half teaspoon goes into the cupcakes, and another half teaspoon goes into the frosting. In the frosting, it balances all of that sweet marshmallow so it never tastes too sugary. Any fine grain salt works because it dissolves right in.
- Espresso Powder: You will not taste coffee, I promise. One teaspoon of espresso powder just deepens the chocolate flavor and makes it taste richer. It is one of my favorite little tricks for any chocolate bake. If you do not have it, you can leave it out.
- Buttermilk: One cup of buttermilk is the key to that super tender crumb. The acidity softens the cupcake and activates the baking soda so everything bakes up light. It also adds the tiniest bit of tang that keeps the chocolate from tasting flat. Room temperature buttermilk mixes in the smoothest.
- Unsalted Butter: You will use it two ways in this recipe. A half cup of melted butter goes into the cupcakes for rich flavor and that fudgy texture. Another half cup of room temperature butter gets whipped into the frosting to make it creamy, fluffy, and pipeable. Using unsalted lets you control the salt yourself.
- Egg: One egg binds the batter together and gives the cupcakes structure. It also adds richness and helps them bake up with a pretty domed top. Room temperature is best so it blends in smoothly. A cold egg can make the melted butter clump up.
- Vanilla Extract: Two teaspoons go into the cupcakes and one teaspoon goes into the frosting. Vanilla rounds out the chocolate and makes everything taste warm and bakery style. In the frosting, it is what gives you that classic marshmallow flavor. Use the good stuff here if you have it, or make your own with my Homemade Vanilla Extract.
- Marshmallow Fluff: This is the star of the frosting, and you need one 7 ounce jar. It makes the frosting light, glossy, and SO fluffy, with that sweet marshmallow flavor in every bite. You add it slowly at the very end. That way you can control exactly how soft or stiff your frosting is.
- Powdered Sugar: Two cups sweeten and thicken the frosting so your ghosts hold their shape. It dissolves right into the whipped butter for a silky smooth texture. Sift it first if it looks clumpy. If your frosting ever feels too soft, a little extra powdered sugar will firm it right up.
- Chocolate Frosting: This is for the little eyes and mouth that bring your ghosts to life. I just buy the store-bought kind that already comes in a piping tube because it is SO easy. A tiny dot is all you need for each eye. You can also use store-bought black icing, melted chocolate, or candy googly eyes.
Substitutions and Modifications
- Flour: Swap the all-purpose flour for the same amount of cake flour for an even softer cupcake.
- Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Espresso Powder: Use instant coffee granules, or just leave it out. The cupcakes will still be delicious.
- Ghost Faces: Use store-bought black icing, melted chocolate, mini chocolate chips, or candy googly eyes instead of chocolate frosting.
- Butter: If you only have salted butter, cut the salt in half in both the cupcakes and the frosting.
- Marshmallow Fluff: Marshmallow creme works exactly the same way. Feeling extra? Make a batch of my Homemade Marshmallows for the dessert table too.
- Gluten Free: A good 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour should work in place of the all-purpose flour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They Are RIDICULOUSLY Cute with Almost Zero Effort: Three squeezes of frosting and a few chocolate dots and you have a ghost. No fancy decorating skills required.
- The Cupcake Is Tender, Fudgy, and SO Chocolatey: Buttermilk and melted butter keep the crumb soft and moist, and a little espresso powder makes the chocolate flavor pop.
- The Frosting Tastes Like a Fluffy Marshmallow Cloud: It is light, sweet, a little salty, and it pipes like a dream.
Equipment Needed
- 12 Cup Muffin Tin: This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes, so one standard tin is all you need.
- Cupcake Liners: They keep the fudgy cupcakes from sticking and make them easy to grab at a party.
- Two Mixing Bowls: One for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients, since they get mixed separately before you combine them.
- Whisk and Rubber Spatula: The whisk breaks up the cocoa and brown sugar clumps, and the spatula helps you scrape every bit of batter out of the bowl.
- Large Cookie Scoop: It portions the batter evenly so all 12 cupcakes bake at the same rate.
- Stand Mixer: You need it to beat the butter for 2 to 3 minutes and whip the marshmallow frosting until it is fluffy. A hand mixer works too.
- Piping Bag with a Large Round Tip: A round opening is what gives you those smooth, stacked dollops that look like a ghost.
- Wire Cooling Rack: The cupcakes have to cool completely before you pipe, and a rack gets them there faster.
- Kitchen Scale: Optional, but I love it for measuring the flour and sugars in grams.
Halloween Ghost Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups 180 g all-purpose flour or cake flour
- ¾ cup 150 g granulated sugar
- ½ cup 107 g light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup 21 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine grain salt
- 1 teaspoon (1 g) espresso powder
- 1 cup 240 g buttermilk
- ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Marshmallow Cream Frosting
- ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups 240 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine grain salt
- 7 ounces 198 g marshmallow fluff
For the Ghost Faces
- Store-bought chocolate frosting in a piping tube
Instructions
- Prep your oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Get this done first so your batter is not sitting around waiting.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Take an extra few seconds to break up any brown sugar or cocoa clumps.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Let your melted butter cool for a few minutes first so it does not scramble the egg.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until JUST combined. As soon as you stop seeing streaks of flour, put the whisk down. Overmixing is how you get tough cupcakes, and we want tender and fudgy.
- Scoop. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners, filling each one about two thirds full. A large cookie scoop makes this so quick and keeps them all the same size.
- Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops spring back when you gently press them and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely. Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. They need to be fully cool before you frost them, so be patient here, love.
- Whip the butter. In a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter on medium to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is pale, creamy, and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Start the mixer on low so you do not end up in a powdered sugar cloud, then turn it up and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the marshmallow fluff. Slowly add the fluff a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing in between, until you reach your desired consistency. You want it soft and cloud-like but still thick enough to hold its shape.
- Pipe your ghosts. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Squeeze three times on each cupcake. One big base, one medium dollop on top of that, and one small one to finish.
- Add the faces. Use the store-bought chocolate frosting to pipe on two eyes and a mouth. Then step back and admire how freaking CUTE they are.
How to Pipe Marshmallow Frosting Ghosts
This is the part that looks impressive and takes about 10 seconds per cupcake. Here is exactly how I do it:
- Start with a big base. Hold the piping bag straight up and down over the center of the cupcake and squeeze out one big dollop that covers most of the top.
- Stack a medium one. Without moving the bag off center, squeeze a second, slightly smaller dollop right on top of the first.
- Top it off. Squeeze one last little dollop on top. Stop squeezing before you lift the bag away so you get that cute little ghost peak.
- Give it a face. Pipe two little chocolate dots for eyes and one for a mouth. Every ghost comes out with its own personality, and that is the fun of it!
Making a whole spooky spread? These are SO cute next to my Brown Butter Fudgy Brownie Mummy Cookies and my Spooky Spider Reese’s Cup Cookies. And if you need one non-spooky option for the table, my Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel are a fall favorite.
Storage Instructions
- Counter: Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit out for about 20 minutes before serving so the cupcake and frosting soften back up.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 90 days. Set the frosted cupcakes on a tray and freeze until the ghosts are firm, about 1 hour, then move them to an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Tips and Tricks
- Weigh your flour. Too much flour is the fastest way to a dry cupcake, so use the gram measurements if you have a kitchen scale.
- Use room temperature buttermilk and egg. Cold ingredients can make the melted butter seize up into little clumps.
- Add the fluff slowly. The more you add, the softer the frosting gets. Stop when it is fluffy but still holds a peak.
- Chill if you need to. If your frosting feels too soft to stack into a ghost, pop the piping bag in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make ghost cupcakes?
Bake a batch of chocolate cupcakes, let them cool completely, and pipe three stacked dollops of white marshmallow frosting on top of each one. Then add two chocolate dots for eyes and one for a mouth. That is really all there is to it!
Can I make ghost cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes! Bake the cupcakes the day before and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Make the frosting and pipe the ghosts the day you are serving for the cutest results.
Will these cupcakes taste like coffee?
Not at all. The espresso powder just makes the chocolate flavor deeper and richer. You can leave it out if you do not have any.
Can I use marshmallow creme instead of marshmallow fluff?
Yes, they work the same way in this frosting. One standard 7 ounce jar is exactly what you need.
What if I do not have buttermilk?
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and use it just like buttermilk.
Why won’t my ghosts hold their shape?
Either the cupcakes were still warm or the frosting is too soft. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool, and chill the frosting for 10 to 15 minutes or beat in a little more powdered sugar to firm it up.
What can I use for the ghost eyes?
I use store-bought chocolate frosting in a piping tube. Store-bought black icing, melted chocolate, mini chocolate chips, and candy googly eyes all work great too.
Can I make these as mini cupcakes?
You can! Mini cupcakes bake much faster, so start checking them with a toothpick at around 10 minutes. Pipe smaller dollops so the little ghosts do not tip over.
More Halloween Treats and Cupcakes You’ll Love
- Spooky Ghost Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Fudgy Brownie Mummy Cookies
- Spooky Spider Reese’s Cup Cookies
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
- Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
- Easy Oreo Cupcakes
- Triple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Hot Cocoa Cinnamon Rolls with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
Let’s Stay in Touch!
If you make these Halloween Ghost Cupcakes, I NEED to see your little ghosts! Snap a photo before they disappear and tag me @munchiesbymallory on Instagram and TikTok. And don’t forget to leave a star rating and review below, it helps more than you know. Happy Halloween baking, love!
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