Having a Halloween party or in the mood to bake some festive treats? Check out this recipe for ghost cake pops that are sure to spice up any gathering!

Vanilla Cupcake
1 cup granulated sugar
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
4 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup sour cream
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

Vanilla Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla

Decorations
1 cup white candy melts
A fine tip food color marker in black or Wilton black decorating gel
Black and white paper straws (10 straws cut in half)
Good & Plenty candies cut into quarters lengthwise
Mini orange M&M’s (room temperature)

To Make the Cupcakes:
First preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the butter until it is light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar, and mix until light and fluffy; again, this should take about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add the egg whites and mix until combined. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and milk; mix until combined. Fill each muffin liner until about half full, and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and allow them to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Afterwards, remove the cupcakes from the tin, and allow them to cool completely on a drying rack. Baking in a pan is also an alternative method.

To Make the Frosting:
Using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla, and mix until combined.

To Assemble the Cake Pop Dough:
Crumble the cupcakes in a bowl into fine crumbs. Add about 1 tsp of the frosting, then mix. At this point
our cake crumb mixture should have the consistency of clay. If it is too dry, add more frosting. Be careful not to add too much frosting, or the cake pops will be too oily and lose their shape.

To Form the Cake Pops:
Form walnut-sized balls with the cake pop dough. Flatten one end of the ball so it can lie flat on a cake pan, and place the ghost-shaped cake pops on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Then insert a cut piece of the “Good & Plenty” candy on either side of the cake pop as the ghost’s arms. Repeat this process with all of the cake pops. Chill the cake pops in the fridge for about 30 min.
While the cake pops chill, melt the white candy melts. Dip the end of a paper straw into the candy melt, then insert the straw in the top of the cake pop until it is about a third of the way through the cake pop. Repeat this process with all of the cake pops. Place the cake pops back in the fridge for 15-20 min. At this point, reheat the candy melts if necessary. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before use.
Line another sheet pan with parchment paper. Removing one or two cake pops from the fridge at a time, dip the cake pop into the candy melts. Gently tap off any extra candy coating. Place the cake pop on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with all of the cake pops.
Return the cake pops to the refrigerator to cool for 15-20 minutes. While the cake pops chill, draw faces on the mini-M&M’s using a fine tip food color marker in black. Once the cake pops are cooled, place a small amount of white candy melts along the side of the orange mini-M&M with a toothpick. Attach the M&M to the cake pop under the ghost’s arm. Repeat the process with all of the cake pops.
Return the cake pops to the fridge to chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Use the food color marker or black decorating gel to make a mouth and eyes for each ghost. Using the same black candy melts and a toothpick, draw the handle for the pumpkin around the ghosts’ arms.
Serve the cake pops at a Halloween-themed party!