Ghostly Surprise Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim off the tops of the cupcakes so that they are flat.
• Place the dark chocolate and white chocolate chips in two separate bowls. Add 4 teaspoons coconut oil to the dark chocolate and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil to the white chocolate. Melt each bowl of chocolate in the microwave at medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until just liquid and smooth.
• Working with one cupcake a time, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the dark chocolate on top, spreading it evenly over the top with the back of the spoon. While the dark chocolate is still liquid, spoon 1 teaspoon of the white chocolate in the center of the cupcake. Drag a toothpick or skewer through the center of the white chocolate outward to form a "tail." Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
• Rewarm the dark chocolate until liquid again, if necessary. Scrape the chocolate into a resealable plastic bag, snip off one corner and pipe small dots of dark chocolate on the white chocolate ghosts to form 2 eyes. Pipe a third dot twice as big to form a mouth. Let the chocolate set for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes.
• Immediately remove cupcakes from pans to wire rack. Cut each cupcake horizontally in half. Top bottom half of cupcake with 5 marshmallows; cover with top of cupcake. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, microwave 1 cup marshmallows and milk in large microwaveable bowl 2 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 30 sec. Cool slightly. Stir in COOL WHIP and food coloring until blended.
• Spread cupcakes with COOL WHIP mixture. Top each cupcake with 3 candy corn.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcakes a few at a time using 1 container frosting. Immediately sprinkle cupcakes with decors.
• Place contents of second container of frosting in quart-size resealable plastic freezer bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag. Squeeze frosting onto cupcakes in mound shapes of various sizes.
• Decorate as desired using candy eyeballs on frosting mounds.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In medium bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In large microwavable bowl, microwave candy melts as directed on package. Place 1 marshmallow on top of each cupcake. Spoon melted candy over marshmallow to cover, letting excess drip down onto cupcake. Cool slightly. Press in 2 chocolate chips near top of each ghost for eyes. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely on wire racks., In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine marshmallows and 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on high until melted, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in three-fourths of the sugar; turn onto a work surface coated with 3 tablespoons shortening., Knead until smooth and pliable, gradually adding remaining sugar and shortening. If necessary, moisten with remaining water. Wrap fondant in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out., To decorate, set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. , For ghosts: Invert two peanut butter cups and stack, securing together with a small amount of reserved frosting. Top with a malted milk ball, attaching with frosting. (See photo.) Repeat, forming 24 stacks., On a work surface lightly sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, roll a 1-1/4-in. ball of fondant into a 4-in. circle (see photo); drape over a stack. For eyes and mouth, gently cut out shapes using pastry tips. Repeat for remaining ghosts., For pumpkins, stems and tendrils: Tint desired amount of fondant orange. Wrap fondant around malted milk balls; shape into pumpkins. Add imprint lines with a veining tool or toothpick., For stems and tendrils, tint a small amount of fondant green. Shape into stems; attach to pumpkins using clear vanilla extract. For tendrils, roll out remaining green fondant; using a pizza cutter, cut into thin strips. Gently wrap strips around toothpicks; set aside to dry. (Tightly wrap any remaining fondant in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for another use.), To finish cupcakes: Place a small amount of reserved frosting on top of each cupcake; top with a prepared ghost. Carefully remove tendrils from toothpicks and attach to pumpkins, using clear vanilla extract. Attach pumpkins to cupcakes as desired.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to egg mixture until blended., Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk, water and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or resealable plastic bag; insert a small star tip. Fill bag with frosting. Push tip 1 in. into center of cupcake and fill with frosting just until top of cake begins to crack. Pipe frosting over the tops.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. , Place ice cream cones in muffin cups. Spoon about 3 tablespoons batter into each cone, filling to 3/4 in. from the top., Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks. Pipe frosting over cupcake tops in ghost shapes; arrange jimmies and sprinkles on frosting as desired to create facial features.