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Light Ghost Vanilla Cupcakes: Easy, Fun Buttercream Faces

light ghost vanilla cupcakes with buttercream faces - featured image
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These light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes are topped with a silky buttercream and decorated with adorable ghost faces. Perfect for Halloween parties, they come together in about 45 minutes and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat or 2%)
  • ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for buttercream)
  • Pinch of salt (for buttercream)
  • Mini chocolate chips (for ghost faces)
  • Optional: Black decorating gel
  • Optional: White sanding sugar or edible glitter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides halfway through.
  4. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
  5. Add Greek yogurt and buttermilk; mix on low until just combined. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing on low until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Finish with a few gentle folds of a rubber spatula.
  6. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
  7. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. For buttercream: In a large bowl, beat softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating on low. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  9. Fit a piping bag with a round tip (Wilton 1A or similar) and fill with buttercream. Pipe a continuous spiral on each cooled cupcake, starting at the edge and pulling up to create a peak.
  10. Press mini chocolate chips into buttercream for eyes and mouth to create ghost faces. Let buttercream set for about 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid dense cupcakes. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Pipe ghosts right before serving to prevent chocolate chip eyes from bleeding color. For dairy-free, use dairy-free yogurt and almond milk with apple cider vinegar. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.

Nutrition

Keywords: ghost cupcakes, Halloween cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, buttercream ghosts, easy Halloween dessert, light cupcakes

Find it online: https://platebelle.com/light-ghost-vanilla-cupcakes-easy-fun-buttercream-faces/