On The Table: Ghostly Halloween Cupcakes

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-2 tablespoons espresso powder (optional)
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-3/4 cup whole milk
-3/4 cup room-temperature water
-2 eggs
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 teaspoons edible glitter (optional, but it’s more fun this way)

For the buttercream:
-1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
-5 egg whites
-1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
-3/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
-black decorating gel, for the ghosts
-sprinkles, if desired

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add in your milk and water, beat to combine, then add in your eggs and beat to combine. Add in your vegetable oil and vanilla, then beat to combine, and finally, add in your glitter, if you’re using it, and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide your batter among 2 12-cup muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until set. Allow the cupcakes to cool fully before frosting.

2. While your cupcakes bake, make your buttercream. Whisk together your sugar and egg whites in a double boiler or in a medium-sized bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved, around 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the mixture to your mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to whisk the dissolved sugar and egg whites for 5 minutes, then increase the speed to high and mix for another 8 minutes, until glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled.

3. Add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, adding the next piece only after the first has been incorporated. After you’ve gotten halfway through, switch the attachment from a whisk to a beater. Keep adding the butter, piece by piece. The frosting may start to come apart and look clumped, but if that happens, just keep beating. Add in the vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate the frosting until you’re ready to use it.

4. To make the ghosts (once the cupcakes have cooled), add the buttercream to a pastry bag or a large Ziploc bag and cut off the tip. Swirl the frosting on top of each cupcake, and draw two eyes and a mouth on the “heads” of each of the ghosts, then decorate with sprinkles, if you like. These will keep well at room temperature for one day, or you can refrigerate the cupcakes for up to 48 hours. Bring them out at your Halloween party for a spooky surprise!

To view the original recipe, please click HERE.