Halloween Ghost Cupcakes (2 Ways)
Spooky Ghost Cupcakes made two different ways, including a super easy shortcut recipe that anyone can do!
Ghost Cupcakes (2 Ways)
Nothing says spooky like a ghost!
Ghost cupcakes are classic Halloween treat โ in this post I’ll show you two different ways to make a ghost cupcake topper. Both versions are pretty easy, but one is SUPER easy!
For both recipes we started with chocolate cupcakes. You can use pre-made, a boxed cake mix, or your favorite from-scratch recipe. Then you pick which kind of ghost you like the best for the topping!
One ghost we made using white fondant. Because fondant holds it’s shape, it really looks like a flowing ghost!
The other style of ghost cupcake is made using a big swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting. You seriously cannot mess this one up! Even if your swirl isn’t perfect, it will still look like a ghost!
You will love how easily these spooky ghost cupcakes come together! This is a super simple cupcake idea but is great for classroom parties or a fun Halloween treat to enjoy during the spooky season.
Related: Check out our cute and easy Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies too!
Ingredients
No matter which style of ghost cupcake you’re making, you’ll start with a dozen cupcakes.
- 12 Cupcakes (We used chocolate cake mix to make our cupcakes. You’ll also need the ingredients listed on the box to make the batter, such as eggs and oil).
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Flowing Fondant Ghost Cupcakes
- 2 cups Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 12 Dum Dum Lollipops
- White Fondant
- 24 Mini Chocolate Chips
Swirl Ghost Cupcakes
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar (up to 1 cup extra as needed)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 24 Mini Chocolate Chips
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Mixing Bowls
- Muffin Tinsย with Black paper liners
- Piping Bag with large round tip
- Wire rack for cooling
Instructions
To Prep: Bake cupcakes according to package or recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely before frosting and decorating. If using cake cake mix, you’ll prepare the batter according to package directions, but the cooking time is shorter for cupcakes (15-20 minutes)
To Make Fondant Ghosts
- Roll out white fondant to about 1/16 inch thick, on parchment paper or a clean and floured workspace.
- Cut out 4-inch circles in the fondant. A cookie cutter or even a wide mouth mason jar ring could work for this step.
- Unwrap a lollipop and place the top in the center of each fondant circle. Gently press the fondant down around the lollipop to create a ghost shape.
- Place the lollipop stick into the top of the cupcake, so your ghosts stand upright. Press mini chocolate chips into the fondant to make eyes.
To Make Ghosts Out Of Frosting
This is probably the easiest ghost cupcake recipe you’ll ever find!
To make the vanilla buttercream, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream and beat for 2 minutes, scrape sides of bowl, continue mixing until stiff peaks form. If needed, add more powdered sugar until it has a thick enough consistency.
All you do is use a frosting decorating bag with a large round tip to pipe a large swirl of vanilla frosting on top of each cupcake. Then place two mini chocolate chips into the frosting for the ghosts’ eyes.
Prep Tips
- We used chocolate cake mix because it is a nice contrast with the white ghosts on top. It looks spooky and tastes delicious! However, you’re welcome to use any flavor of cupcakes that you enjoy.
- We used mini chocolate chips to make eyeballs, but you could also use chocolate frosting or black fondant to make your ghost eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Cupcakes Does This Recipe Make?
The exact yield will depend on your cupcake recipe or the box mix used. Typically, a box of cake mix will yield 24 medium cupcakes. We made a dozen of each style.
Do These Cupcakes Need Refrigerated?
Since we used buttercream frosting, these cupcakes do not need to be refrigerated. Instead, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Fondant decorations will last longer than frosting decorations, as the frosting may start to lose its shape a bit after a few days.
If you decide to use cream cheese frosting, then you would want to keep them in the refrigerator.
More Halloween Party Recipes To Try:
- Halloween SโMores Kits
- Halloween Sprinkle Cookies
- Easy Halloween Dirt Cups
- Jack Skellington Pull-Apart Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Candy Corn Treats
- Creamsicle Flavored Mini Halloween Cupcakes
- Spiderweb Cookies
- Pumpkin Pretzels
- Hot Dog Mummies
- Halloween Monster Cookies
- Blood Spatter Cookies
- Poison Apple Halloween Fudge
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Ghost Cupcakes (2 Recipes)
Equipment
- 1 cupcake pan
- 12 cupcake liners
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 12 Cupcakes We made ours with a box of chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box to make the batter)
Frosting Swirl Ghosts
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 24 Mini Chocolate Chips
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Flowing Fondant Ghosts
- 2 Cups Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 12 Dum Dum Lollipops
- White Fondant
- 24 Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Bake cupcakes according to package or recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely.
- If starting with cake mix, prepare the cake mix according to box directions. Fill a lined muffin pan with the batter, so each cup is halfway full. Bake for 15-20 minutes and check with a toothpick for doneness.
Frosting Swirl Ghosts
- To make the vanilla buttercream, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream and beat for 2 minutes, scrape sides of bowl, continue mixing until stiff peaks form. If needed, add more powdered sugar until it has a thick enough consistency.
- Use a frosting decorating bag with large round tip to pipe a tall swirl of white frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Press mini chocolate chips into the frosting to make eyes.
Fondant Ghosts
- Spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Roll out white fondant about 1/16 inch thick on a piece of parchment paper (or a clean surface lightly dusted with cornstarch)
- Cut out circles that are 4 inches in diameter. A wide mouth mason jar ring or cookie cutter can work for this step.
- Unwrap a lollipop and place the top in the center of the circle of fondant. Gently press the fondant down around the lollipop to create a ghost shape.
- Press mini chocolate chips into the fondant to make eyes.
- Press the lollipop stick into the center of your prepared cupcakes so the ghost stands upright.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Ghost Halloween Cupcakes on Pinterest:
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