Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Print version)
Chocolate cupcakes with cookie crumb dirt and spooky tombstone decorations for Halloween.
# What goes in:
→ 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 tsp baking powder
07 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
08 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Chocolate Frosting
09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
11 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12 - 2-3 tbsp milk
13 - 1 tsp 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
# Cooking 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, 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. 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. Chill briefly before serving.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- The graveyard theme makes even grownups lean in closer and grin like kids
- Its basically a craft project you can eat afterward
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable—cold butter creates lumpy batter that never bakes up right
- Let the frosting set for about 15 minutes before adding decorations or everything slides right off
03 -
- Add a teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in your milk for a mocha frosting that adults will secretly love
- Use a small offset spatula for smoothing frosting between cupcakes—it creates that seamless graveyard look