Recipe for: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Ghost-Shaped Cream - photo 1
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Recipe for: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Ghost-Shaped Cream

Desserts halloween 90 min Medium 0 views ~34.46 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Delicate cupcakes with an autumn aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon, decorated with fluffy cream shaped like ghosts — perfect for Halloween. The batter combines Polish, seasonal pumpkin puree with simple ingredients, making the cupcakes moist and soft, while the cinnamon adds a warm, spicy note. The mascarpone and cream frosting holds its shape for piping, and dots of dark chocolate create fun "eyes" for the ghosts. Serve at a party with a cup of cocoa or spiced tea; they look great on a tray with autumn decorations (small pumpkin, leaves). The recipe includes step-by-step instructions for beginners — from preparing the pumpkin puree to decorating, along with storage tips and alternatives for harder-to-find ingredients.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (15)

Servings:
12
  • Wheat flour 220 g
  • Sugar 150 g
  • Butter 100 g
  • Chicken egg 2 pcs (~120 g)
  • Baking powder 10 g
  • Milk 120 ml
  • Pumpkin 200 g
  • Mascarpone 250 g
  • 30% cream 200 ml
  • Powdered sugar 80 g
  • Dark chocolate 50 g
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 1 g
  • Cinnamon 2 g
  • ✨ Optional
  • Sugar sprinkles 20 g
  • Walnuts 30 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~34.46 PLN (2.87 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation of pumpkin puree

1

If you don't have ready-made puree, prepare it first: preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut a small pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut into smaller pieces (if using hokkaido, you don't need to peel the skin). Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, skin side down. Bake for 25–35 minutes until the flesh is soft (a knife should easily pierce it).

Ingredients: Pumpkin
Use a large baking sheet and a knife to chop the vegetables. If the pumpkin is hard, bake it longer — the flesh should be soft and easily mashable with a fork.
2

After cooling, blend the flesh with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Weigh out 200 g of puree (you can freeze the rest or use it for soup). If the puree is very watery, reduce it in a pan for 2–3 minutes over low heat, stirring every 30 seconds.

Ingredients: Pumpkin
Use a clean spoon and kitchen scale to weigh 200 g. The puree should be smooth and slightly moist, not too watery.

Cake

3

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top-bottom) and prepare a mold for 12 cupcakes — line with paper liners or grease with butter and dust with flour. In a large bowl, place the butter (100 g) and sugar (150 g). Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes lighter and fluffy.

Ingredients: Butter, Sugar
Use a mixer with a whisk attachment. If you don't have a mixer, use a wooden spoon and vigorously cream the butter with the sugar for 5–7 minutes.
4

Add one egg (120 g — that is 2 eggs) to the butter, mixing thoroughly after each addition to prevent the mixture from separating. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Ingredients: Wheat flour
If the mixture starts to weigh down (separate), add 1–2 tablespoons of flour and mix briefly until combined. The eggs should be at room temperature to blend easily.
5

In a separate bowl, sift the flour (220 g), baking powder (10 g), and salt (1 g). Add the cinnamon (2 g) and gently mix the dry ingredients with a fork or whisk.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Baking powder, Salt, Cinnamon
Sifting the flour will aerate the dough and remove lumps; use a kitchen sieve for sifting.
6

Gradually add the dry ingredients and milk (120 ml) to the creamed butter and eggs in three batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. After each addition, mix only until combined, using a spatula — do not overmix. Finally, gently fold in the pumpkin puree (200 g) until you have a smooth mixture.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Milk, Pumpkin
Use a spatula for the final mixing to avoid losing fluffiness. The mixture should be thick but pourable — if it is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk.

Baking

7

Fill the cupcake liners in the tray up to 2/3 full with the batter (use an ice cream scoop or two spoons). Smooth the top. Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Pumpkin
Use an ice cream scoop to ensure even portions. Bake in the middle of the oven. Baking time may vary depending on the oven — start checking from the 16th minute.
8

After baking, remove the cupcakes and leave them in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely — it is important that they are completely cool before frosting.

Use a cooling rack to prevent the bottoms of the cupcakes from sweating and the cream from softening. Cooling takes about 30–40 minutes.

Cream

9

Pour the chilled 30% cream (200 ml) into a cool bowl and whip with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (2–3 minutes). Be careful not to overwhip the cream — it should be thick but flexible.

Ingredients: 30% cream
Use a metal or glass bowl chilled in the fridge and cold mixer attachments. When the cream starts to thicken, reduce the speed and watch the consistency.
10

In a separate bowl, gently mix the mascarpone (250 g) with the powdered sugar (80 g) until smooth. Add the whipped cream and gently fold in with a spatula, using an up-and-down motion, until the mixture is uniform and thick — it should hold its shape for decorating.

Ingredients: Mascarpone, Powdered sugar, 30% cream
Use a spatula to combine, not a mixer. The cream is ready when it doesn't spill out when you turn the bowl upside down, and its consistency is thick and creamy.

Decoration

11

Prepare a piping bag with a round tip (opening diameter about 10–12 mm). Fill it with cream. On each cooled cupcake, pipe the cream from the center upwards, forming a cone shape, and then gently move upwards and around to create a shape resembling a ghost (higher in the middle and slightly sloping edges).

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Mascarpone, 30% cream
Use a stiff piping bag or a disposable bag with the corner cut off. Practice on a plate to master the pressure — squeezing too hard will create overly large "ghosts."
12

Melt dark chocolate (50 g) in a water bath: finely chop the chocolate, place it in a bowl over a pot of gently boiling water, and stir until it becomes liquid. Transfer to a small bag and cut a tiny corner or use a thin brush. Draw two dots for eyes and a small oval for a mouth on each ghost. Additionally, you can sprinkle a bit of sugar sprinkles and toasted walnut (optional).

Ingredients: Dark chocolate, sugar sprinkles
Do not let the bowl with chocolate touch the water — it will overheat. If the chocolate thickens, hold it over warm (but not boiling) water for a few seconds and stir.

Serving and storing

13

Arrange the decorated cupcakes on a plate or stand. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled (the cream tastes best after 15–20 minutes at room temperature).

If you decorate in advance, store the cupcakes in the fridge loosely covered with plastic wrap or in a cake container — the mascarpone cream is delicate and best consumed within 48 hours.

Fun Fact

💡

The ghost theme in Halloween desserts is a modern adaptation of folk outdoor customs — the white, dripping shapes resemble traditional costumes and are a simple, friendly decoration option for children.

Best for

Halloween Przyjęcie dla dzieci Wieczór filmowy

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the cupcakes on a light platter with sprigs of rosemary, small pumpkins, and leaves — the contrast of dark chocolate with white cream looks stunning. For adults, serve hot cocoa with spices or ginger tea.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator covered (for a maximum of 48 hours). If you want to prepare the cupcakes a day in advance, bake the bases separately, prepare the cream and keep it chilled, decorate just before serving. To refresh chilled cupcakes, take them out 20 minutes before serving.

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