Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Printable)
Chocolate cupcakes topped with frosting, crushed cookie dirt, and decorated tombstones for a spooky Halloween treat.
# What You'll 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 separate bowl. Add half of dry mixture to 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 toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on 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 serving tray in rectangle or mound. Generously spread chocolate frosting over all cupcakes, creating 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 spooky candy.
07 - Chill briefly before serving to set decorations.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Its Halloween magic that actually tastes incredible, not just sweet for sweets sake
- The decorating is half the fun and kids can take complete creative control
- Cupcakes stay moist longer than a full sheet cake and theres no slicing required
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend together properly and prevent curdled batter or lumpy frosting
- Over mixing the cupcake batter develops gluten and makes them tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
03 -
- Place a small dab of frosting on the back of each tombstone cookie before pressing it into the cupcake—it acts like glue and prevents them from falling over
- A small offset spatula gives you the smoothest graveyard surface, but the back of a spoon works in a pinch and creates nice texture