Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Printable)
Chocolate frosted cupcakes topped with cookie dirt and tombstone cookies for Halloween
# What You Need:
→ Cupcakes
01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - ½ cup whole milk
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Chocolate Frosting
09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
11 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt
→ Decoration
15 - 6–8 chocolate sandwich cookies
16 - 6–8 rectangular cookies or biscuits
17 - Black, white, and green gel icing pens
18 - Gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or Halloween themed candies
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add half the dry mixture to the wet, then milk, then remaining dry ingredients until just combined.
03 - Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each 2/3 full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
04 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, mixing slowly. Add vanilla and milk, beating until smooth and spreadable.
05 - Arrange cooled cupcakes close together on a serving tray in a rectangle or mound. Generously spread chocolate frosting over all cupcakes, creating a smooth surface.
06 - Crush chocolate sandwich cookies and sprinkle over frosting for dirt. Write RIP and spooky messages on rectangular cookies with gel icing pens to make tombstones. Press into cupcakes. Decorate with gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or Halloween candy.
07 - Chill briefly before serving to set decorations.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These cupcakes bring out the inner child in everyone at the party
- The assembly creates an impressive graveyard scene that looks harder than it actually is
02 -
- Completely cooled cupcakes are essential or the frosting will melt and slide off your graveyard
- The crushed cookie dirt needs to be added just before serving or it will absorb moisture from the frosting
03 -
- Use a small food processor to crush the sandwich cookies for consistently fine dirt
- Chill the decorated graveyard for 15 minutes before serving to help everything set