Graveyard Cupcakes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 16

Chill time: 35

Total Time: 1 36

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 475kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Graveyard Cupcakes are the perfect treat for Halloween! These spooky chocolate cupcakes are topped with tombstone cookies, so they'll fit right in with all of your decorations. Let the kids help for a fun activity!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

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 (see note)

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

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12-count cupcake tins with 20 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
1½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Place butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave (on high) for 1 minute, then stir well. If not fully melted, continue to heat and stir well in 30-second intervals until melted. This should be melted but not very hot.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Stir (with a mixing spoon, not electric beaters) the brown sugar into the melted chocolate mixture.
1 cup brown sugar
Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture.
2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
Stir all the buttermilk into the wet mixture. Stir just until mixed.
½ cup buttermilk
Pour the remaining half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir just until mixed and no white flour remains. Don’t overmix or the cupcakes won’t bake into the correct soft texture.
Fill the cupcake liners halfway full with cupcake batter. This will be 20 cupcakes. Don’t overfill cupcake liners or the cupcakes won’t rise properly.
Place cupcakes into the oven and bake for 15-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the hot cupcake tins and place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. It’s important to remove the cupcakes from the hot cupcake tin as soon as they come out of the oven so they don’t continue baking and dry out.

For the Ganache

While the cupcakes cool, make the ganache: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the heavy cream in the microwave until hot, about 1½ minutes.
1 cup 33% fat heavy cream
Immediately pour the chocolate chips into the hot heavy cream, then let sit for 5 minutes before stirring.
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
After 5 minutes, stir chocolate chips and heavy cream until well mixed.
Stir in the corn syrup.
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before using it to fill cupcakes.

For the Frosting

While the ganache chills, make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the powdered sugar, butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract on high until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add the frosting to a large icing bag with or without an icing tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip for these cupcakes).
Set frosting aside for now. This can stay out at room temperature.

For Decorating

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave just until melted (start with 30 seconds on high then stir - you don’t want this really hot).
1 ounce Baker’s white chocolate
Place the melted white chocolate into an icing bag and cut a very small hole at the tip for printing.
Print funny and clever sayings on the chocolate rectangle “tombstone” cookies. Some examples include: RIP, Ima Goner, Game Over, This Sucks, One Way, Dead End, Bea Fraid, Ben Better.
20 chocolate-coated graham crackers
Place the printed-on cookies into the freezer for about 5-10 minutes just so the white chocolate hardens before putting them on top of the cupcakes.
To fill the cupcakes with ganache, use a small knife to cut a small hole (well) into the top of each cupcake. Spoon about a teaspoon of ganache into each cupcake then place the cut circle of cupcake back on top to cover the ganache filling.
Pipe frosting on top of each filled cupcake then place a tombstone cookie in the top of each.

Notes

Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by measuring ½ cup of milk, removing ½ tablespoon of it, and mixing in ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
I like to use natural cocoa powder in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
You can use salted butter in the cupcakes; simply omit the kosher salt. I do not recommend using salted butter in the frosting.
You can use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar.
In the ganache, you can use whatever kind of chocolate chips you like, such as milk or dark.
You can omit the corn syrup, but the ganache will not be as shiny.
In place of the chocolate-coated graham crackers, you can use Vienna fingers, Biscoff cookies, Milanos, or any other tombstone-shaped cookie!
Do not use white chocolate chips in place of the Baker's white chocolate; they will not melt as smoothly.
For slightly melted butter, place cold butter from the fridge into the microwave on high for 40 seconds.
Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature; this will help them to combine more easily.
Do not overmix the cupcake batter; otherwise, you'll end up with tough cupcakes.
Don’t overfill the cupcake liners or the cupcakes won’t rise properly.
It’s important to remove the cupcakes from the hot cupcake tins as soon as they come out of the oven so they don’t continue baking and dry out.
If you don't have a piping tip set, place the frosting in a Ziplock bag and cut the corner off to allow you to pipe the frosting.
Ganache-filled cupcakes shouldn’t be left at room temperature longer than 2 days before refrigerating.

Storage: Store graveyard cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition