Small Batch Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

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This small batch of chocolate Halloween cupcakes are all treat, no trick. Soft, Dutch cocoa chocolate cupcakes hide a gooey caramel center, then get topped with a homemade marshmallow ghost. They’re simple to make — no eggs, no fuss — and come together in just over half an hour. A fun Halloween dessert for two that’s part candy, part cupcake, and entirely worth showing off.

this recipe

When Your Cupcakes Come Dressed For Halloween

I started testing these cupcakes after my small batch chocolate wacky cake proved that eggs aren’t essential for a soft, rich crumb. Oil and sour cream keep the cupcakes tender, while plenty of cocoa gives them that deep, chocolate-forward flavor you expect.

Now, I don’t usually go full Pinterest for Halloween, but these hit the perfect middle ground between cute and doable. So a little “trick” felt necessary. 😉

• A drop of food coloring turns store-bought or homemade maple syrup caramel into a ghoulish, gooey surprise in the center.
• And because no Halloween cupcake is complete without a ghost, I topped them with my marshmallow meringue frosting piped into little white spirits.

If you’re on a roll with haunted desserts, try my small batch gingerbread skeleton cookies, or browse my full collection of small batch Halloween desserts for a little more inspiration.

Happy trick-or-baking friends!

Tricks For The Perfect Cupcake

• Use Dutch cocoa. It gives the cupcakes a smooth, deep chocolate flavor without bitterness — my go-to for all chocolate baking, and the same rich cocoa base I use in my small batch Black Forest cupcakes.
• Bloom the cocoa. Make sure the coffee is hot when it hits the batter. The heat wakes up the cocoa and makes the flavor richer.
• Go light on the food coloring. Start with a single drop for the caramel filling — it deepens fast, and too much can turn muddy instead of spooky red.
• Watch the meringue temperature. Heat the egg white mixture until the sugar fully dissolves and it feels smooth between your fingers — that’s the secret to a glossy, stable ghost.
• Fill before frosting. Add the caramel once the cupcakes are completely cool, so it doesn’t melt into the crumb.

Small Batch Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

4.8 from 4 reviews

Soft and rich small batch chocolate Halloween cupcakes with caramel filling and homemade marshmallow ghosts. An easy egg-free cupcake perfect for spooky season baking.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield6 Cupcakes

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook18 minutes minutes

Total Time33 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  Muffin/Cupcake Pan
• ▢
  Hand Held Mixer with Whisk Attachments
• ▢
  Digital Thermometer

Ingredients

Caramel Filling

• ▢ 3 ½ tablespoons Maple Syrup Caramel Sauce (or store-bought)
• ▢ red food coloring

Chocolate Cupcakes

• ▢ ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process
• ▢ ½ cup organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (cut into cubes for easy mixing)
• ▢ ¼ cup milk, room temperature (see Notes)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons canola oil (or any neutral oil)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons medium brew coffee, very hot (or hot water)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Marshmallow Meringue Frosting

• ▢ 1 large egg white, room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water, room temperature
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Caramel Filling

• Use store-bought caramel, or make your own using my Maple Syrup Caramel Sauce recipe. I use about 2 teaspoons of caramel filling per cupcake. You can use more or less based on your preference. Note – Making the homemade caramel sauce is not included in the prep time of the recipe.
• Add the caramel to a small bowl. Start with one drop of red food coloring, stir, and add another drop if you want a deeper shade of red.
  3 ½ tablespoons Maple Syrup Caramel Sauce, red food coloring

Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners.
• In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. If the cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it through a fine mesh strainer set over the bowl. Give the dry ingredients a quick mix to combine. See the Notes below to use a stand mixer or hand mixer.
  2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process, 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-high speed until the butter is broken up and the mix resembles coarse sand. This reverse-creaming method yields light and fluffy cupcakes.
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• In a liquid measuring cup, measure the milk, then add the oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
  1/4 cup milk, room temperature, 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream, room temperature, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Turn the mixer on low speed. Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients, along with the hot coffee/water, into the dry until incorporated and no dry streaks remain. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy.
  3 tablespoons medium brew coffee, very hot
• Pour equal amounts of batter into the prepared cupcake liners. Tip – Use a small cookie scoop to help with portioning and less mess! Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool the cupcakes in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
• Scoop out a small amount of cupcake from the middle to make the well for the caramel sauce. You can use a small paring knife, apple corer, or even the wide end of a piping tip. The size of the well is completely your preference and how much caramel you want in the middle of the cupcake.

Marshmallow Frosting

• Make the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling. This is the same recipe as the Glossy Marshmallow Meringue Frosting.
• Create a Double Boiler – Simmer about 2-inches of water in a saucepan. In a heat-proof mixing bowl large enough to fit on top of the saucepan – without touching the water – add the egg white, water, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan. Note – Make certain the bowl and beaters are clean. I recommend wiping down the bowl and beaters with a paper towel and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.
  1 large egg white, room temperature, 1 tablespoon water, room temperature, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Using one of the whisk attachments as your whisk, constantly whisk the mixture until foamy and white. We want the sugar to dissolve and the temperature of the mixture to reach 160F degrees. This may take up to 4 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test if the sugar has dissolved by carefully rubbing a little of the egg white between your thumb and index finger – if done, you will not feel sugar granules.
• Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the vanilla extract. Using a hand held mixer with whisk attachments, beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form, and the frosting is pillowy and glossy. This may take about 2 and 1/2 minutes. The frosting is ready to be used immediately.
  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Assemble the Cupcakes – Fill the well in the cupcake with your desired amount of caramel, and either pipe or spoon the marshmallow frosting on top of the cupcakes. Enjoy!

I’d appreciate a review!If you try the recipe, please let me know! Leaving a comment + star encourages others to try it, and the support helps me continue to provide FREE recipes. Thank you!

Notes

• Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can easily be doubled.
• Stand Mixer vs Hand Mixer – Since this is a small batch batter, I recommend a smaller mixing bowl to mix the batter evenly.  To use your tilt-head stand mixer with standard attachments, I link the mixing bowl above.  Otherwise, a hand mixer and medium mixing bowl will work fine.
• Milk – 2% or whole milk works best to achieve optimal results (soft and fluffy texture).  However, any milk type will work.
• Cocoa Powder – I prefer Dutch process cocoa because it is less acidic and has a stronger flavor.  To swap natural cocoa, you will need to add baking soda.  Use 1/3 teaspoon baking powder + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.  
• Storing – Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.  Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a day – beyond that I recommend refrigerating because of the frosting.
• Freezing – Baked, unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator then bring to room temp to frost and serve.

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.