Ingredients

• Plain flour, for dusting
• 24 large marshmallows, halved lengthways
• 2kg ready-made white icing
• Cornflour, for dusting
• 32 brown mini M&Ms

Devil's food cake batter

• 1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
• 3 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 475g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 3/4 cups caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 eggs

Thick ghostly chocolate frosting

• 2 1/4 cups icing sugar mixture
• 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 185g cream cheese, softened
• 90g unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 280g 70% cocoa dark chocolate, melted

Method

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Line 16 holes of three 6-hole, 1 cup-capacity texas muffin pans with paper cases. Grease and flour 16 holes of two 12-hole, 1 1/2 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pans.
• Step 2 Make Devil's food cake batter: Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in boiling water and warm milk until smooth. Set aside. Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in salt. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture. Beat. Add milk mixture, then remaining flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Step 3 Divide batter between holes of prepared pans, filling until each hole is 3/4 full. Bake mini cupcakes for 8 to 9 minutes and large cupcakes for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of cakes comes out clean, rotating pans halfway during cooking. Cool cakes in pans.
• Step 4 Make Thick ghostly chocolate frosting: Sift icing sugar, cocoa and salt together into a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually beat in sugar mixture until combined. Beat in sour cream, scraping down the sides of bowl. Beat in melted chocolate until well combined and mixture is glossy and smooth.
• Step 5 Remove large cupcakes from paper cases. Trim and discard the top of each cake to form a flat surface. Turn cakes over. Spread 1 teaspoon of chocolate frosting over top of each cupcake. Arrange 3 marshmallow halves on top of each cake, cut-side down, pressing into frosting to secure. Spread 1 teaspoon of frosting over marshmallows.
• Step 6 Trim and discard the top of each mini cupcake to form a flat surface. Place 1 mini cupcake, cut-side down, onto marshmallows, pressing to secure. Set aside 1 tablespoon of frosting to secure eyes onto ghosts. Spread 2 tablespoons of remaining frosting over each cupcake stack, leaving a 1cm border at the base. Place on a tray. Refrigerate cupcakes for 30 minutes.
• Step 7 Divide ready-made white icing into 16 equal portions. Dust a flat surface lightly with cornflour. Roll 1 portion of icing into a 1 to 2mm-thick, 20cm round. Centre icing circle over 1 cupcake stack, smoothing downwards and creating ruffles around the bottom. Secure M&Ms with reserved frosting to form eyes. Repeat with remaining icing, cupcake stacks, M&Ms and reserved frosting. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow icing to harden slightly. Serve.