Description
Graveyard Cupcakes are spooky, chocolatey treats perfect for Halloween or themed parties. These moist cupcakes are filled with rich chocolate ganache, frosted with creamy cocoa buttercream, and topped with fun, decorated chocolate-coated graham cracker tombstones for a playful and delicious dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
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, room temperature (226 grams, 2 sticks)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170 grams)
- 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (100 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4 grams)
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature (114 grams)
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup 33% fat heavy cream, room temperature (227 grams)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170 grams)
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup (20 grams)
Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly melted (226 grams, 2 sticks)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4 grams)
Decorating
- 1 ounce Baker’s white chocolate (28 grams)
- 20 chocolate-coated graham crackers such as Keebler Deluxe Grahams
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-count cupcake tin with 20 cupcake liners.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Melt butter and chocolate: In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and chocolate chips on high for 1 minute, stirring well. Continue heating in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted but not hot.
- Add sugar and eggs: Stir the brown sugar into the melted mixture, then whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until combined.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet mix and stir gently until just combined. Then stir in all the buttermilk until mixed. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until no flour remains; avoid overmixing.
- Fill liners and bake: Fill the cupcake liners halfway with batter (making 20 cupcakes). Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove immediately from the tin to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make ganache: Heat heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1½ minutes until hot. Pour chocolate chips into the cream and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, then mix in corn syrup. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until chilled.
- Prepare frosting: In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat powdered sugar, slightly melted butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract on high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Fill a piping bag with or without a tip with the frosting and set aside.
- Decorate tombstone cookies: Melt white chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds; stir until just melted. Place melted chocolate in a small piping bag, cut a small hole, and write fun sayings on the chocolate-coated graham crackers. Freeze for 5-10 minutes to harden the writing.
- Fill cupcakes with ganache: Use a small knife to cut a hole in the top of each cupcake. Spoon about a teaspoon of chilled ganache into each hole and replace the cupcake top piece to cover the filling.
- Frost and top cupcakes: Pipe frosting on top of each filled cupcake and place a decorated tombstone cookie on top to complete the look.
Notes
- Removing cupcakes from the hot tin immediately prevents over-baking and dryness.
- Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for better batter consistency.
- Don’t overmix the batter to maintain a soft cupcake texture.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute with milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes.
- Freeze decorated tombstone cookies to quickly harden white chocolate writing before decorating cupcakes.
- The frosting can stay at room temperature for easy piping; if too soft, chill briefly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
