Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Print View)

Spooky chocolate cupcakes with cookie dirt and edible graveyard decorations. Perfect Halloween dessert for parties and gatherings.

# 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 Steps:

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 separately. Add half the dry mixture to wet ingredients, 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 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 shape. 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 create tombstones. Press into cupcakes. Decorate with gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or Halloween candy.
07 - Chill briefly before serving to set decorations.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The pull-apart format means everyone gets their own little tombstone to discover
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the messy cookie dirt crunch on top
  • You can make everything ahead and assemble the graveyard in minutes
02 -
  • Completely cool cupcakes before frosting or your graveyard dirt will slide right off that melting buttercream
  • The cookie dirt needs to be added immediately after frosting, before the buttercream forms a crust
  • Rectangular cookies that are too thick will wobble and fall over, so choose thinner options for stability
03 -
  • Freeze your rectangular cookies for 30 minutes before writing on them, the cold surface helps the gel icing set faster and smudge less
  • Add a tiny bit of black gel food coloring to your frosting for an even darker, more soil like appearance

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