Pumpkin Ghost Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These pumpkin ghost cupcakes are a fun, easy Halloween treat to make with your kids. Warm pumpkin spice, creamy frosting, and chocolate-chip faces turn simple cupcakes into something playful. Little foil balls help shape the cupcake liners, and a butter knife is all you need to shape the frosting. Don’t worry about perfect ghosts: the crooked smiles and uneven outlines give each one its own personality.

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

1. Prep and shape. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a standard muffin pan with foil-lined cupcake liners. Crumple aluminum foil into small, tight balls and tuck them between each liner and the pan to create a ghost outline with a head and arms.
2. Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
3. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, syrup, and vanilla.
4. Combine. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry flour remains.
5. Fill halfway. Divide the batter among the shaped liners, filling each only halfway. Use a clean chopstick or skewer to spread the batter into the corners and level the tops. Make extra cupcakes rather than overfilling.
6. Bake and cool. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Let the foil balls cool before handling. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
   

Make the Frosting

1. Beat the butter. Beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Add cream cheese. Cut the cold cream cheese into small pieces and beat into the butter just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Avoid overbeating.
3. Add sugar and salt. On low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar and salt. Beat briefly on medium until thick and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4. Chill. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes, or until firm enough to hold its shape. This makes shaping the ghosts easier.
   

Decorate

Pipe frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Use a butter knife to gently spread it into a ghost shape. Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes and one regular chocolate chip for the mouth.

Tip: Foil-lined liners hold the ghost shapes better than plain paper liners.