Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
Don’t let the fear of tricky Halloween baking keep you from getting creative in the kitchen. Try out these easy cute ghost cupcakes. They are great for kids’ parties or to have a cup of tea on Halloween night!
Ingredients: For the Marshmallow Icing
250g sugar
120g golden syrup
4 free-range eggs, whites only
2 tbsp chocolate sugar strands
Ingredients: For the cupcakes
-140g butter, softened
-250g caster sugar
-2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-150g plain flour
-75g self-raising flour
-1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
-50g cocoa powder
-200ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt
What You'll need
Method: For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line twelve muffin tins with muffin cases.
2. For the cakes, beat the butter and sugar together with a hand-held mixer until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract with the last of the egg.
3. Sift the flour, soda, and cocoa bicarbonate into a large mixing bowl.
4. Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture and the buttermilk until thoroughly combined and smooth.
5. Place a dessertspoonful of the batter into each muffin case, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes until firm to the touch. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Method: For the Icing
1. Place the sugar, golden syrup and four tablespoons of water into a large saucepan for the icing. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Bring the sugar syrup to a boil and cook for about 5-6 minutes until the syrup reaches 115C/239F when measured with a sugar thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. While the syrup is boiling, whisk the egg whites with a hand-held mixer in a large bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Then, with the mixer on a low speed, pour in the sugar syrup in a thin steady stream - be careful not to pour the syrup onto the beaters as it may splash onto your hands.
4. Once all the syrup has been added, increase the mixer's speed and mix for about 10 minutes until the icing is completely cool, thick and glossy. Do not skimp on the whipping; your icing will be too soft, and your ghosts will sag.
5. Place the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe a circle of icing onto each cupcake. Then, holding the bag upright over the centre of the cake, pipe a tall mound of icing, then quickly pull the tip away to form a small peak on the top.
Add chocolate sugar strands for eyes or any decoration you fancy. The meringue icing will keep out of the fridge (the sugar syrup will have pasteurised the egg white), but make sure they don’t get too hot, or the meringue will melt.
