Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts

These tasty and creepy dark chocolate cupcakes with meringue ghosts are great for Halloween or any other ghostly event. Its rich and moist, and the meringue ghosts on top are so cute that both kids and adults will love them.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Black gel food coloring
• Candy eyes for decorating optional

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350F 175C and line a cupcake tin with paper liners

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients

Mix until well combined

Pour in the boiling water and mix until the batter is smooth

The batter will be thin, but thats okay

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the meringue ghosts

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are frothy

Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form

Gradually add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract while continuing to beat the egg whites

Beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy

Add a small amount of black gel food coloring to the meringue and gently fold it in to create a grayish color for the ghosts

Transfer the colored meringue to a piping bag fitted with a round tip

Pipe ghost shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake the meringue ghosts in a preheated oven at 200F 93C for about 1-1

5 hours or until they are firm and dry

Once the cupcakes and meringue ghosts are completely cool, place a meringue ghost on top of each cupcake

Decorate the meringue ghosts with candy eyes to create cute ghost faces if desired

Enjoy your delicious Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts