Ghastly Ghouls
Use a marshmallow and a thick, meringue frosting to hold these
ghastly ghouls in place. Once you’ve mastered these cupcake
versions, why not try making a huge one on a full-size cake?
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ONE BATCH OF VANILLA CUPCAKES
15 white marshmallows (one per cupcake)
4 large egg whites
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
black fondant or chocolate chips for eyeballs and menacing expressions
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1. You will need a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl that will sit neatly on top of it (or use a double boiler, if you have one). Pour a few cups of water into the pan and bring to the boil. The water should not touch the base of the bowl.
2. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl using an electric hand whisk, then place the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and all the sugar dissolved—about 1–2 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and using the mixer on medium-high speed, beat until the eggs form a cool stiff meringue—about 5 minutes or until hard peaks have formed.
4. Secure a marshmallow vertically in the center of a cake using a tiny dab of the meringue, and use a spoon to heap frosting on top of each cupcake to make a ghost shape you like. Smooth the edges with the back of the spoon.
5. Use black fondant or chocolate chips to create a suitably menacing expression. Hold them in place with a small dab of the meringue mixture.
To scare up some more Halloween recipes and ideas, visit A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! by Lily Vanilli.
