Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a standard 12-hole muffin tray with black cupcake liners.

For the red velvet cake batter, whisk the eggs until foamy, then mix in the cooled melted butter, buttermilk and red food colouring. Add the cake mix and cocoa powder and whisk to form a smooth batter, adding a few more drops of food colouring, if necessary, to reach your desired colour.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

When you’re almost ready to serve, prepare the marshmallow frosting. Fill a small saucepan with about 2cm of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl and briefly whisk to combine. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and gently stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture feels uncomfortably warm to the touch (if you have a sugar thermometer, it should register about 71°C). Immediately transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip for 10-15 minutes until cooled, and a thick glossy meringue with stiff peaks forms. If your meringue looks too soft, continue whipping. Lastly, mix in the vanilla.

Place the marshmallow frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe peaks on top of each cupcake to create the ghost bodies. Decorate with black sprinkles for eyes and serve.

Tips: Gel food colouring is better than the liquid variety for red velvet cake as it gives you a much more intense colour using far less.

The marshmallow frosting is best made and piped onto the cupcakes just before serving. If left for too long, the surface can start to dry out and form a crust. You can use an electric hand mixer to prepare the frosting if you don’t have a stand mixer.