Marshmallow Ghost Cupcakes

Absolutely adorable marshmallow ghosts float spookily above dark but divine devil's food cupcakes! A cute but scary treat for your Halloween bash. The sweet, glossy marshmallow frosting sounds complicated but it's pretty easy. For best results, make the frosting the same day you will serve them. Enjoy!

Cute marshmallow ghosties will haunt your tastebuds!

What's that, raven? Now you want a cupcake? I thought you said, "Nevermore"?

Devil's Food Cupcakes

Based on a recipe from More From Magnolia by Allysa Torey
Equipment required: Mixer, muffin or cupcake pans, cupcake papers, pot, whisk.

Ingredients 

2 cups cake & pastry flour
1 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg. 
2. Mix the buttermilk and vanilla together. Add the flour mixture to the mixer, a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Mix only until ingredients are combined. 
3. Spoon into cupcake papers placed in a muffin or cupcake pan. Bake for 10-20 minutes or when a tester inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean. Start testing at 10 minutes so you don't over bake them! 

Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients

8 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cupcake Decorations: Mini chocolate chips

Method
Use the bowl of your mixer for both steps.

1. Over a pot of about 2" of barely simmering water, place your mixer bowl. Add egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar. Whisk gently until egg whites are warm and the sugar is completely dissolved. A good trick to test this is to rub a little of the egg whites between your fingers. If you feel sugar grains, keep whisking. 
2. Move the bowl of egg whites to your mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium high speed until mixture is stiff and glossy, usually about 8 minutes. You will know it's done when you take a spoonful and hold it upside down and it doesn't move. 

Decorate the cupcakes For the ghosts, I used a large round frosting tip (Wilton #1A). Pipe circles onto the cupcake, getting smaller as you build up the ghost. Use 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes.

This column first appeared in Stimuli Magazine. Check out my column

'Just Desserts' for more sweet and delicious recipes!