Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes (Printable)

Chocolate cupcakes with frosting and cookie graveyard 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

→ Graveyard Decorations

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

# Directions:

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. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half 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 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 make tombstones. Press tombstones into cupcakes. Decorate with gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or Halloween candy.
07 - Chill briefly before serving to set decorations.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The pull apart design means no cutting required, just grab and go at parties
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the interactive decorating process
  • The chocolate cake and frosting combination is honestly better than most bakery versions
02 -
  • Completely cool cupcakes before frosting or the frosting will melt into a sad puddle
  • Crush cookies inside a ziplock bag to contain the mess and get even pieces
  • Write tombstone messages before inserting them into the cupcakes, much easier that way
03 -
  • Use a small offset spatula to spread frosting between cupcakes so they truly merge into one surface
  • Place decorated cupcakes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving for easier transport

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