chocolateeggsmilk
Red Velvet Ghost Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes topped with black frosting and homemade marshmallow-fondant ghosts for Halloween.
From YouTube · Oct 18, 2021
Red velvet cupcakes topped with black frosting and homemade marshmallow-fondant ghosts for Halloween.
45 min
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
1 hr 45 min, including cooling and decorating
Total time
12 decorated cupcakes
Yield
Ingredients
18 ingredients- 1 1/2 cups plain flour, 180 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, 5 g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2.5 g
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 1.5 g
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 20 g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, approximately 100 g
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil, 80 ml
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt, 150 g
- 1/2 cup milk or unsweetened milk alternative, 120 ml
- 1 teaspoon red gel food colouring, or enough to achieve the desired colour
- 180 g prepared black frosting, approximately 15 g per cupcake
- 340 g mini or chopped marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 ml
- 2 tablespoons water, 30 ml
- Up to 4 cups powdered sugar, approximately 480 g, plus more for kneading
- Black decorating gel
- 12 food-safe 3-inch cake-pop sticks
Method
18 steps- Preheat the oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and oil until combined.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream. Mix only until combined.
- Stir in the red gel food colouring.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Mix just until the batter is smooth; do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 paper cases, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
- For the fondant, place the marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat only until melted.
- Stir the vanilla into the melted marshmallows.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually, approximately 1 cup at a time, until a sticky dough forms. You may not need the entire amount.
- Turn the fondant onto a surface dusted with powdered sugar and knead until smooth and no longer sticky.
- Spread approximately 15 g black frosting over each cooled cupcake.
- For each ghost, form a small fondant ball approximately 2.5 cm wide and place it on a food-safe cake-pop stick.
- Insert the stick into the centre of a cupcake, leaving the fondant ball above the frosting.
- Roll another piece of fondant into a circle approximately 7.5 cm wide and drape it over the ball to form the ghost.
- Use black decorating gel to draw two eyes and a mouth. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Recipe notes
Helpful tips
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting or fondant.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually because humidity affects how much the fondant needs.
- Grease your hands lightly or dust them with powdered sugar if the fondant remains sticky.
- The full fondant recipe may produce more than is required for 12 ghosts.
- Keep the fondant covered while decorating so it does not dry out.
Equipment
- 12-hole muffin tin
- Paper cupcake cases
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Rolling pin
- 12 food-safe cake-pop sticks
Storage
Store the decorated cupcakes in a tall airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring refrigerated cupcakes towards room temperature before serving.
Additional tips
- Contains wheat, egg and milk unless appropriate substitutes are used. Cake-pop sticks are not edible and must be removed before the cupcake is eaten, especially when serving children. Melted marshmallow becomes extremely hot and sticky, so allow it to cool slightly before kneading.
Save recipes like this from any YouTube video
Create beautiful, printable recipe cards with ChefScribe.
Get 6 free recipes every month.
