1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
3. Using an electric beater, mix oil mixture and water with dry ingredients for about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth.
4. Divide dough into a cupcake tin that has been pre-greased or coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool completely.

For the ghost:

• Flatten and cut out a few squares of marzipan. Place squares onto a small round object (like a salt shaker, for example) to make the ghosts. Let stand for several hours, until marzipan has hardened.
• Using tubed melted chocolate or frosting, pipe eyes and mouth.
• Frost cupcakes completely with orange frosting and sprinkle with grated coconut all around.
• Place marzipan ghosts on cupcakes.

For the cemetery:

• Frost top of cupcakes with red frosting and sprinkle with some chocolate cookie crumbs.
• To make the tombstones, spread some chocolate frosting onto finger biscuits and pipe a cross with a tube of white frosting.
• Insert the decorated biscuit into the cupcakes and add some gummy worms around.

For the tarantula:

• Make some mini cupcakes along with the regular cupcakes or cut out the body of the tarantula from some of the regular sized cupcakes.
• Frost the body of the tarantula with chocolate frosting and cover with chocolate sprinkles.
• Pipe eyes using tubed white and red frosting.
• Frost the top of the regular cupcake with yellow frosting and pipe a spider’s web on top using tubed white frosting.
• Place tarantula on the cupcakes and insert eight small black licorice twists for the legs.

This recipe is courtesy of Annie Harvey from Mother for life