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Graveyard Cupcakes Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 18 reviews
  • Author: Taylor
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
  • Yield: 20 cupcakes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Graveyard Cupcakes are moist chocolate cupcakes filled with rich chocolate ganache, topped with a fluffy cocoa frosting and decorated with spooky chocolate-coated graham cracker tombstones. Perfect for Halloween or themed parties, these cupcakes combine decadent chocolate flavors with fun, creative decoration for a festive treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda (3 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), room temperature (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170 grams)
  • 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4 grams)
  • ½ cup buttermilk (114 grams), room temperature

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • 1 cup 33% fat heavy cream (227 grams), room temperature
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (20 grams)

For the Frosting

  • 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), slightly melted (2 sticks)
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4 grams)

For Decorating

  • 1 ounce Baker’s white chocolate (28 grams)
  • 20 chocolate-coated graham crackers such as Keebler Deluxe Grahams

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with 20 cupcake liners.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
  3. Melt Butter and Chocolate: Place the butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir well. Continue heating in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until fully melted but not hot.
  4. Add Sugar: Stir the brown sugar into the melted chocolate mixture using a spoon (not an electric mixer) until combined.
  5. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract into the chocolate mixture until smooth.
  6. Add Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Then stir in all the buttermilk. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and stir gently until no white flour remains. Avoid overmixing for the best texture.
  7. Fill Cupcake Liners: Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter. This amount will make 20 cupcakes. Avoid overfilling so cupcakes rise properly.
  8. Bake Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool Cupcakes: Remove cupcakes from the hot tins immediately and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting to prevent overbaking and drying out.
  10. Make Ganache: While cupcakes cool, heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl until hot, about 1½ minutes. Pour the chocolate chips into the hot cream and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, then mix in the corn syrup. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  11. Make Frosting: In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat powdered sugar, melted butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract on high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Place frosting in an icing bag (Wilton 1M tip recommended).
  12. Melt White Chocolate: In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the Baker’s white chocolate on high for 30 seconds. Stir gently to melt completely without overheating.
  13. Decorate Tombstones: Put the melted white chocolate into a small icing bag with a tiny hole. Write spooky sayings on the chocolate-coated graham crackers such as RIP, Game Over, and Dead End. Freeze the decorated crackers for 5-10 minutes until the white chocolate hardens.
  14. Fill Cupcakes: Use a small knife to cut a small hole in the top of each cupcake. Spoon about a teaspoon of chilled ganache into each hole, then replace the cutout cupcake top to seal.
  15. Frost and Top: Pipe the cocoa frosting on top of each filled cupcake. Insert a decorated tombstone cookie into the frosting of each cupcake as a topper.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients for the best texture and mixing results.
  • Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to keep cupcakes soft and tender.
  • Cooling cupcakes completely before frosting prevents melting and sliding of the frosting.
  • Chill ganache before use to make filling easier and neater.
  • Substitute dark chocolate for semisweet if a richer flavor is desired.
  • Use parchment or silicone cupcake liners if you want easier removal of baked cupcakes.
  • To make a dairy-free version, substitute dairy-free butter, milk, and chocolate where possible.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 420 kcal
  • Sugar: 35 g
  • Sodium: 180 mg
  • Fat: 25 g
  • Saturated Fat: 15 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Cholesterol: 85 mg

Find it online: https://skilletjoy.com/graveyard-cupcakes-recipe/