Spooky and sweet, these easy Halloween ghost cupcakes are such a treat and they couldn't be easier to make! If you have little ones, they are going to be head over heels for these adorable ghost cupcakes that come together so quickly and easily! They're also the perfect, no-fuss Halloween party dessert!
Spooky Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
Well, folks, we are officially in Halloween mode over here! This holiday is a BIG deal for us (5 kids and Halloween is no joke), so you know there's been no shortage of spooky Halloween music, costume talk, and fun treats to be shared in our house. The top of the treat list? These cute ghost cupcakes that are way more cheerful than they are scary!
And they're not scary to make, either. For projects like this, I like using box cake mix and then making my own icing. It's still semi-homemade and way quicker to throw together for the class party at school or your Halloween get-together! Plus, how adorable are these faces? With a few candy pieces and a few baking ingredients, you can have these precious ghost cupcakes in no time, too. Check out the notes in the recipe card to see how I "dress up" box cake mix and make the cupcakes even more fluffy and moist.
Why are my cupcakes not rising?
If you use box cake mix, you shouldn't experience any problems with your cupcakes not rising. Often, old baking soda or powder is the issue for deflated cupcakes when you bake them from scratch.
How do you keep your cupcakes moist?
If you plan on keeping these around longer than 24 hours, store them undecorated. Let them cool completely, and put them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days or the fridge for up to a week. They're best if you eat them fresh or within 2 days.
Why are my cupcakes not fluffy?
Fluffy cupcakes come from creating air bubbles in the batter that expand as they bake. Over-mixing the batter can result in collapsed air bubbles and a more dense cupcake.
What is the best cupcake box mix?
My favorite is Betty Crocker cake mixes. They just come out tastier and more moist than cheaper or generic brands.
Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Description
Spooky and sweet, these easy Halloween ghost cupcakes are such a treat to enjoy on this fun holiday, and they couldn't be easier to make!
Ingredients
- 1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix or from-scratch cake made into cupcakes
- 1 batch White Cloud Icing
- M&M's or chocolate chips for eyes
- Airhead candy, cut into mouth shapes
Instructions
- Make your favorite cupcakes (we like chocolate with this frosting), and let them cool.
- Plan on decorating 12 to 18 cupcakes; if you are making 24, I'd double the icing recipe. Once the cupcakes are cool and the icing is prepared, it's time decorate.
- Use an icing bag with a 2A tip or a plastic freezer bag with one corner tip cut off (cut so that the opening is about a half-inch wide). Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. Start by making a slow round circle and slowly build up the icing in a circle until the ghost is about three inches tall. You want to pipe the icing on slowly so that it has time to get round and fat as it comes out of the bag. That is what will make the ghost big and tall in the end.
- Add the eyes and a mouth.
- Serve within 24 hours.
Notes
- Be sure to add the eyes right after pipping on the icing. The icing sets after a few minutes, and then the M&M's won't stick to it.
- Tips on sprucing up a box of cake mix: When using a cake mix, replace the water called for on the box with 1 cup of buttermilk, use 4 eggs instead of the number called for, and use the same amount of oil called for on the box. Just stir those 4 ingredients together, and then bake as you would any other cupcake for 12 minutes. 12 minutes does seem short, but that's all they needed! The box made slightly less than the standard 24 cupcakes. I got 18 to 20 cupcakes per box.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cupcakes, frosting, halloween treat, ghost cupcakes, easy halloween dessert, halloween party food idea, easy halloween recipes, halloween cupcakes
More cupcake recipes:
- Cherry Chip Cupcakes
- Lightened Up Chocolate Cupcakes
- Party Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Whipped Cinnamon Icing
- Sweet Tooth Fairy’s Vanilla Cupcake Copycat Recipe
Other Halloween Treats you’ll love:
- Easy Oreo Spider Halloween Snacks
- 5 Easy No-Bake Halloween Treats
- Halloween Cheese Board
- Free Halloween Boo Poem (Printable)
- 12 Non-candy Halloween Treats
This post was originally published in 2012, and has been updated and rephotographed in October 2019.
Britni @ Hubby Made Me
Those are adorable! I might feel bad eating them cause they're so cute! And this might be weird, but I love your navigation bar, it's really cute 🙂 Anyway, back to the ghostly cupcakes! I love them! And I would be thrilled if you shared these at my Throwback Thursday party 🙂 I hope to see you there and thank you so much for sharing! http://www.hubbymademe.com/throwback-thursday-no-12/
Angela
So, so cute! I'm pinning this so I don't forget to try it over Halloween.
Katie
Those are so cute and perfect!!! I need to try out the white cloud icing soon!
Heather
so cute! I was wondering what happened with your chicken that wanted to lay her eggs in the bush? Did she convert to the coop? I am also gunning to be your number one referral blog site!