These charming ghost cupcakes are decorated with the social media-famous flat frosting method, a technique that produces a smooth, expert-looking finish that’s super easy once you learn the secret. We start with rich chocolate cupcakes that get their spooky black-as-night color from black cocoa powder, then pipe a simple ghost shape on top with homemade vanilla buttercream. Gently flipping the cupcakes over and letting them chill creates a flat, even surface for decorating. When turned right-side up, just add eyes and a mouth to turn each into a classic Halloween ghost.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 12 cupcakes |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened black cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Black sanding sugar, for decorating
- Black gel icing, for decorating
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Spray the liners and the top of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Combine the semisweet chocolate and instant coffee in another medium bowl, then pour the boiling water over top and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Add the sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just incorporated; the batter should look like hot fudge.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed. Add the milk and beat until smooth. Transfer 3/4 cup of the frosting to a piping bag.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the black sanding sugar onto a plate. Spread the frosting from the bowl evenly over the tops of the cupcakes. Flip the cupcakes upside down into the sanding sugar so that the frosting is completely covered with the sanding sugar. Working with one cupcake at a time pipe a lima bean-shaped dollop of frosting into the center of the cupcake then flip upside down onto the prepared pan and gently press to flatten the frosting. Leave the cupcake upside down on the pan. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and refrigerate them upside down until the frosting is hardened, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Carefully peel the cupcakes off the parchment and turn them right-side up. Pipe eyes and a mouth onto each ghost with black gel icing and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 465 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 77 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 65 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 56 mg |
| Sodium | 191 mg |