Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Printer-friendly)

Chocolate cupcakes topped with frosting, crushed cookie dirt, and edible tombstone decorations for a deliciously creepy 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 separately. Add half the dry mixture to the wet, followed by 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. 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 spooky candy.
07 - Chill briefly to set decorations before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The assembly style frosting means you cannot mess up the presentation no matter how shaky your piping skills are
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the graveyard theme and it doubles as both activity and dessert
  • The chocolate cake base is moist enough that leftovers stay surprisingly good for days
02 -
  • Let cupcakes cool completely before attempting to frost them or the frosting will melt right off
  • The crushed cookies work best when added just before serving so they stay crunchy
  • Pressing tombstone cookies in at a slight angle looks more authentic than perfectly straight ones
03 -
  • Use a small offset spatula to spread frosting smoothly over the cupcake surface for the cleanest look
  • If frosting gets too soft while working, pop the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up

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