HAPPY HALLOWEEN, guys!!
I mean, how cute are these cupcakes?! Seriously. This is definitely the most Pinterest-y thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I am one of the most impatient people you’ll ever meet. I have a 2-second attention span for any craft/artsy endeavor that can’t immediately be shoved into my mouth. So I struggle a little bit with themed holidays such as Halloween. I love baking and making festive food, but the cutesy/crafty/decorative part has always been a bit elusive to me. That is: until I discovered that you could write “RIP” on a Milano cookie and in 2 freaking seconds create a Halloween cupcake graveyard. Now THAT is my kind of themed grub!
My fellow incredibly-impatient-but-wanna-be-Martha-Stewart-y friends, this one’s for you.
These double chocolate Halloween graveyard cupcakes are a must-bake for your Halloween party this year. Not only are they super cute (and deceptively easy to throw together), but they are also just genuinely incredible cupcakes by themselves. I combined a classic chocolate cake with the most delicious, decadent chocolate buttercream frosting I’ve ever tried (seriously, I never need to look for another chocolate frosting recipe again). I don’t usually freak out for chocolate cupcakes, but these were absolutely fabulous. So even if you decide to skip out on the 2-second decoration (no judgment here), this is the perfect sweet treat for your Halloween bash. Happy trick or treating (or just, ya know, boozing and eating)!!
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for about 30 minutes
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup chocolate malt Ovaltine powder
- 24 Milano cookies, bottom third cut off with a knife
- Decorative icing with a small tip for writing
- Crushed Oreos, optional
- To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cupcakes with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until well-combined. Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour into the prepared cupcake cups and bake for 16-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- In a separate measuring glass, combine the heavy cream with the Ovaltine powder and mix until combined. Add the mixture to the frosting and beat until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble: Write “RIP” (or whatever message you want) on the Milano cookies. Frost the cupcakes with desired amount of frosting and stick a Milano cookie “grave” into each of the cupcakes. Pour Oreo crumbs into serving dish and arrange cupcakes on top. Enjoy!!
- If you’re making these cupcakes in advance, store the frosting separately in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before frosting.
- Total time includes an hour for cooling the cupcakes.
Looking for more Halloween-themed treats?
Gooey Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
