- VE
Sloane’s Table
March 16, 2026
Atsloanestable.com
These black cocoa cupcakes are filled with my foolproof salted caramel sauce and decorated with a swiss meringue piped into cute little ghosts! It's a great shareable halloween dessert that's festive enough without requiring specialty decorations.
From the Cook
From the Cook
1/3
Warning0 allergens identified
Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
Salted Caramel Sauce
Swiss Meringue
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with liners.
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light & fluffy.
4
Mixing on low speed, add the eggs one a time.
5
Scrape down the bowl and mix in the vanilla.
6
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
7
Mix in the sour cream and oil.
8
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
9
Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
10
Fill the cupcake pan by adding 5 tablespoons of batter to each cup.
11
Smooth out the batter with a spoon and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
12
Bake the cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
13
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
14
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and water.
15
Heat over medium high heat, stirring often with a rubber spatula to encourage even cooking.
16
When it comes to a boil reduce heat to medium and continue stirring often.
17
When the color turns an even medium amber color remove from heat and add the heavy cream, quickly mixing until fully combined.
18
Then, mix in the butter and vanilla.
19
Transfer to a glass jar to cool, stir in a pinch or two of flaky sea salt, then chill in the fridge overnight or until ready to use.
20
In a double boiler, heat the egg whites, sugar, and salt, whisking frequently until it reaches 160 degrees F or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites do not feel grainy.
21
Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form, then add the vanilla.
22
Continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
23
Decorate the cupcakes immediately.
24
With a small (about 1") round cookie cutter, remove the centers of the cupcakes, pressing about ⅔ of the way into them.
25
Cut the very top of the centers off and reserve them.
26
Fill the cupcakes with cool caramel sauce and place the top of the centers back on.
27
Pipe the meringue as desired and add black sprinkles to give the ghosts eyes. Enjoy!
My Calorie Intake
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Tips & Tricks (5)
- Swiss Meringue Stability 🥚Whip egg whites with cream of tartar over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 160°F to pasteurize, then continue whipping off heat for glossy, stable peaks that hold their shape perfectly for piping ghost details.
- Salted Caramel Timing ⏱️Make your caramel sauce 1-2 hours ahead and let it cool completely before filling cupcakes to prevent the frosting from melting and to allow the salt flavor to deepen and meld beautifully.
- Cocoa Cupcake Moisture Balance 🍫Use sour cream in your cupcake batter along with proper measurements of water to create incredibly moist, tender crumbs that won't dry out while baking or during storage.
- Double Salt Technique 🧂Use kosher salt in the caramel and finish with flaky sea salt on top for complex seasoning - the fine salt dissolves into the sauce while the flaky salt provides textural contrast and bursts of salinity on each bite.
- Piping Ghost Success 👻Chill your meringue mixture for 15 minutes before piping into a bag fitted with a small round tip, and pipe directly onto parchment in advance so the ghosts can firm up before placement on frosted cupcakes.
Recipe Facts
Diet at a Glance
Vegetarian
My Calorie Intake
Smart Nutrition 
Nutrition Per Serving
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Glycemic Analysis
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Load
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