Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Chocolate cupcakes with frosting, cookie dirt, and tombstone cookies for Halloween

# What You Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180 g)
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
04 - ½ cup whole milk (120 ml)
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 (230 g)
10 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (300 g)
11 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 g)
12 - 2-3 tablespoons milk (30–45 ml)
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

15 - 6–8 chocolate sandwich cookies for dirt
16 - 6–8 rectangular cookies or biscuits for tombstones
17 - Black, white, and green gel icing pens
18 - Gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or Halloween themed candies (optional)

# How to Make It:

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 the dry mixture to the 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 cupcakes 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 Tips:

01 -
  • They look impressive but are actually foolproof, even if you swear you cant bake
  • The assembly is half the fun, making it perfect for getting kids or reluctant helpers into the kitchen
  • That chocolate frosting is dangerously good on its own, dont ask me how I know
02 -
  • Warm cupcakes will turn your beautiful frosting into a puddle, so patience during cooling is absolutely required
  • The frosting consistency needs to be thick enough to hold those cookie crumbs but spreadable enough to smooth over the whole arrangement
  • Write your tombstone messages before pressing them into the frosting, or you will learn this lesson the messy way
03 -
  • Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to your frosting for mocha flavor that makes adults linger longer
  • Use a small offset spatula to smooth the frosting over all the cupcakes at once for that seamless graveyard look

Go Back