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These adorable little fondant ghost cupcakes are sure to make your Halloween dessert table a simply SPOOKTACULAR one! They are super cute, festive treats and are not difficult to DIY yourself.
Fondant Ghost Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting – Halloween Dessert!
I have such a fun Halloween themed dessert to add to our recipe collection today. You are going to LOVE how these adorable fondant cupcakes turn out – and so will your kids, Halloween party guests, etc. They will add charm and seasonally themed charm to your dessert table. These treats taste as good as they look. We chose a purple color theme but you are free to use any color you’d like.
You can make the cupcakes up ahead of time. I recommend making the fondant ghosts a little closer to when you will be serving them, as fondant starts to wilt when it gets warm. If you do make these cupcakes (and the fondant) up ahead of time, you will want to store them in the refrigerator to ensure that the fondant stays firm. Otherwise your perky little ghosts will droop all over the cupcake tops!
How to Make Fondant Ghost Cupcakes!
First, make the cupcakes!
1. In a mixing bowl, beat together the following ingredients until well-blended and smooth: softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, use a stand mixer to combine the flour, baking powder, salt and half and half. I recommend adding the flour a little bit at a time, alternating the flour with half and half, until all have been added and mixing between additions.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high speed for one minute.
4. Remove mixing bowl from the mixer. Scoop about a third of the batter into a smaller bowl and add approximately 1/4 tsp of the purple food coloring gel to the batter. Swirl the gel through the batter with a spoon. Leave a swirl design in the batter (do not mix it together completely).
5. Place cupcake liners in a 24 count muffin tin or two 12 count tins.
6. Fill each tin/liner about halfway with the plain white batter. Then add a small amount of the swirled batter on top. Each liner should be filled about 3/4 of the way.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When the cupcakes are done, remove from the oven to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.
Make the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling!
1. Combine all ingredients except for the purple food coloring gel in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer on low until ingredients are combined, then beat on medium until frosting is your desired consistency.
Note: this is a thicker frosting, however if the consistency is too thick to work with, you can add a little more milk/cream.
2. Add 4-5 drops of purple food coloring gel into the frosting. Turn the mixer on and right back off – 3 or 4 times, so that the frosting looks swirled.
3. Place in refrigerator.
4. After the cupcakes have cooled, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and place it in a piping bag with a large tip. Swirl the frosting onto the cupcakes, coming up to a point. Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes until you are ready to top with ghosts. You can also wait to frost the cupcakes until you are ready to assemble/place the ghosts.
Make the fondant ghosts and place them on the cupcakes!
1. Roll out the white fondant on a piece of parchment paper until it is fairly thin.
2. Cut out the ghosts (one per cupcake) with a metal icing spatula. Cut out approx 4 inch desks with a scalloped pattern around the edges. This shape will help your ghost to drape.
3. Place a large marshmallow on the top of each cupcake. Push it down a little bit so it is secure.
4. Place a fondant cutout on top of the marshmallow. If your fondant ghost is a little too long after you drape it over the marshmallow, simply snip off the fondant around the bottom of the ghost, so that the swirled frosting is visible.
5. Place two of the black candy disks on the fondant for the ghost’s eyes, pressing them gently into the fondant.
Serve immediately.
Fondant Ghost Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1.5 sticks butter softened
- 1.75 c granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2.75 c flour
- 1.5 c half and half
- purple food coloring gel
Buttercream Frosting:
- 4 c confectioners sugar
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk (or heavy cream)
- purple food coloring gel
Fondant Ghosts:
- white fondant
- extra small black candy disks
- large marshmallows
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the following ingredients until well-blended and smooth: softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, use a stand mixer to combine the flour, baking powder, salt and half and half. I recommend adding the flour a little bit at a time, alternating the flour with half and half, until all have been added and mixing between additions.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high speed for one minute.
- Remove mixing bowl from the mixer. Scoop about a third of the batter into a smaller bowl and add approximately 1/4 tsp of the purple food coloring gel to the batter. Swirl the gel through the batter with a spoon. Leave a swirl design in the batter (do not mix it together completely).
- Place cupcake liners in a 24 count muffin tin or two 12 count tins.
- Fill each tin/liner about halfway with the plain white batter. Then add a small amount of the swirled batter on top.
- Each liner should be filled about 3/4 of the way.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When the cupcakes are done, remove from the oven to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.
Frosting:
- Combine all ingredients except for the purple food coloring gel in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer on low until ingredients are combined, then beat on medium until frosting is your desired consistency.
Note: this is a thicker frosting, however if the consistency is too thick to work with, you can add a little more milk/cream. - Add 4-5 drops of purple food coloring gel into the frosting. Turn the mixer on and right back off – 3 or 4 times, so that the frosting looks swirled.
- Place in the refrigerator.
- After the cupcakes have cooled, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and place it in a piping bag with a large tip. Swirl the frosting onto the cupcakes, coming up to a point. Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes until you are ready to top with ghosts. You can also wait to frost the cupcakes until you are ready to assemble/place the ghosts.
Fondant Ghosts:
- Roll out the white fondant on a piece of parchment paper until it is fairly thin.
- Cut out the ghosts (one per cupcake) with a metal icing spatula. Cut out approx 4 inch desks with a scalloped pattern around the edges. This shape will help your ghost to drape.
- Place a large marshmallow on the top of each cupcake. Push it down a little bit so it is secure.
- Place a fondant cutout on top of the marshmallow. If your fondant ghost is a little too long after you drape it over the marshmallow, simply snip off the fondant around the bottom of the ghost, so that the swirled frosting is visible.
- Place two of the black candy disks on the fondant for the ghost’s eyes, pressing them gently into the fondant.
- Serve immediately.
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