Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Print version)

Chocolate cupcakes topped with frosting, cookie dirt, and spooky tombstone decorations for Halloween.

# 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of dry mixture to wet, then add milk, then mix in 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 any spooky candy.
07 - Chill briefly before serving to set decorations.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • Its the ultimate interactive dessert that lets everyone play with their food
  • The pull apart presentation makes serving effortless and dramatically spooky
  • Kids and adults alike will get weirdly excited about eating dirt and tombstones
02 -
  • Completely cool cupcakes before frosting or your graveyard dirt will melt into a sad muddy mess
  • Crush the chocolate cookies into varied sizes from fine dirt to larger rocks for realistic texture
  • Write your tombstone messages before pressing them into the frosting its much easier that way
03 -
  • Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to your frosting for incredibly deep mocha earth flavor
  • Use a small offset spatula to create little mounds and dips in the frosting for more realistic graveyard terrain

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