Ghostly cupcakes
Makes: 12-16
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Ghostly cupcakes
Give these super light and chocolatey cupcakes the full Halloween treatment by topping them with a fluffy, marshmallowy meringue ghost
Makes: 12-16
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (1 of 12)
Calories
386Kcal
Fat
16gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
54gr
Sugars
44gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.6gr
Becky Excell
After being diagnosed with IBS and told to avoid gluten, Becky started experimenting with gluten-free versions of her favourite foods and sharing her recipes online. Fast forward nine years, and Becky is now a successful food writer and bestselling author of several gluten-free cookbooks
See more of Becky Excell’s recipes
Becky Excell
After being diagnosed with IBS and told to avoid gluten, Becky started experimenting with gluten-free versions of her favourite foods and sharing her recipes online. Fast forward nine years, and Becky is now a successful food writer and bestselling author of several gluten-free cookbooks
See more of Becky Excell’s recipes
Ingredients
- 200g salted butter, softened
- 200g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 165g gluten-free self-raising flour
- 25g cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
To decorate
- 320g caster sugar
- 120g egg whites (from about 4 medium eggs)
- melted dark chocolate or black ready-to-roll icing
You'll also need
- 12-16 deep paper or reusable cupcake cases
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4 and line a cupcake tin with deep cases. Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and xanthan gum and then beat in until combined. Divide between the cupcake cases (no more than three-quarters full) and bake for 20-22 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Now for the ghost meringue! Place 100ml water and the sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until completely dissolved, then heat to 118°C (no hotter than 120°C). Use a digital cooking thermometer if possible. If you don’t have one, it will probably take about 2 minutes after the syrup reaches boiling point.
- Meanwhile, place your egg whites in a stand mixer (or use an electric hand mixer) and whisk until they turn white, frothy and are just past soft peaks. With the mixer still going, gradually pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, avoiding the beaters, then continue to whisk for 8-10 minutes until thick, glossy and cool, to stabilise.
- Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large plain round nozzle. Pipe meringue onto each cake in a ghost-like shape. Paint on eyes and mouths using melted dark chocolate, or shape them from black ready-to-roll icing and carefully place onto the ghosts. The meringue will form a ‘skin’ as it dries.
