Adorable Ghost Cupcakes (with Black Cocoa!)
A festive recipe for ‘Black Cocoa Ghost Cupcakes,’ a perfect treat for Halloween. The base is a rich and intensely dark chocolate cupcake made with black cocoa powder and bloomed with coffee for a deep flavor. The cupcakes are topped with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting. A unique decorating technique is used to create the ghost shape: a base layer of frosting is covered in black sanding sugar, then a dollop of white frosting is piped on top and flattened to create a ghost shape, which is then finished with a piped-on face.
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 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
- For the Frosting & Decoration:
- 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
- Black gel icing
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and spray them.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and instant coffee. Pour the boiling water over top, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
- In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting and Decorate: In a stand mixer, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on low speed. Add the milk and beat until smooth. Transfer 3/4 cup of the frosting to a piping bag.
- Spread the remaining frosting from the bowl over the tops of the cooled cupcakes. Pour the black sanding sugar onto a plate and dip the frosted cupcakes upside down into the sugar to coat them completely.
- Working one at a time, pipe a lima bean-shaped dollop of frosting from the piping bag into the center of each cupcake. Flip the cupcake upside down onto a parchment-lined pan and gently press to flatten the dollop into a ghost shape.
- Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, then refrigerate them upside down for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the frosting is hardened.
- Carefully peel the cupcakes off the parchment. Use the black gel icing to pipe eyes and a mouth onto each ghost.
Notes
- ‘Blooming’ the cocoa powder and coffee in hot water is a key step that intensifies the deep chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
- The unique decorating technique of pressing the piped frosting upside down is what creates the smooth, flat ghost shape.
- Chilling the decorated cupcakes is crucial for the ghost frosting to harden and set.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/adorable-ghost-cupcakes/