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Halloween Ghost Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Easy Halloween ghost cupcakes with fudgy chocolate cupcakes and fluffy marshmallow frosting piped into the cutest little ghosts. No fancy decorating skills!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes

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.