Graveyard Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• ½ cup (42g) cocoa powder
• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, softened to room temperature
• ¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (76g) sour cream
• 2 Tbsp melted chocolate, cooled (dark or semi-sweet)

For the Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 2 sticks, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup (118ml) vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5-7 cups (567-791g) powdered sugar
• Orange gel food coloring

For the Tombstones & Decoration

• 6-8 cups (168-224g) Rice Krispie cereal
• 3 Tbsp (43g) unsalted butter
• 10 oz mini marshmallows, or one standard bag
• 3-4 squares Vanilla candiquik or white almond bark, enough to cover approximately 12 tombstones
• 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening
• Black gel food coloring
• Buttercream, a small portion reserved before dying orange, for “RIP” lettering
• Oreo crumbs, for decorative “dirt”

Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  ½ cup (42g) cocoa powder,
  1 cup (120g) flour,
  1 tsp baking powder,
  ½ tsp baking soda,
  ¼ tsp salt
• In a larger mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until just combined.
  ½ cup (113g) butter,
  ¾ cup (149g) sugar,
  2 large eggs,
  1 tsp vanilla
• Gently fold in the sour cream and cooled melted chocolate by hand with a spatula until smooth.
  ⅓ cup (76g) sour cream,
  2 Tbsp melted chocolate
• Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches. For best results, gently sprinkle spoonfuls of the flour mixture over the wet ingredients, as if sifting, rather than dumping it all at once. Fold each batch in until no streaks of flour remain, being careful not to overmix. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well incorporated.
• Fill each cupcake liner about 1/2 full with batter.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Allow the chocolate cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to frost them.

Buttercream Frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and vegetable shortening together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  1 cup (226g) butter,
  ½ cup (118ml) vegetable shortening
• Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until well incorporated.
  1 tsp vanilla extract
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1-2 cups at a time. Begin mixing by hand with a spatula to prevent a sugar cloud, then switch to the electric mixer. Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency and sweetness.
  5-7 cups (567-791g) powdered sugar
• Before adding color, reserve a small portion of the white buttercream (about 1/4 cup) for piping the “RIP” lettering onto the tombstones.
• Add your desired amount of orange gel food coloring to the remaining buttercream. Start with a small amount and gradually add more until you achieve a vibrant Halloween orange. Beat the frosting one last time with the mixer to ensure even color distribution.
  Orange gel food coloring

Rice Krispie Treat Tombstones

• Measure out 6-8 cups of Rice Krispie cereal and set aside in a large bowl.
  6 cups (168g) rice krispie cereal
• In a large pot, melt the butter and mini marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until completely smooth.
  3 Tbsp (43g) butter,
  10 oz mini marshmallows
• Once the mixture is fully melted, remove the pot from the heat.
• Pour the Rice Krispie cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture. Stir well with a greased spatula until all the cereal is evenly coated.
• Transfer the warm mixture onto a large greased baking sheet (or a sheet lined with parchment paper). Using a greased piece of wax paper or your greased hands, press the mixture evenly into a flat layer, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
• Refrigerate the pressed Rice Krispies for at least 20 minutes, or until firm.
• Once firm and cold, use your tombstone cookie cutter to cut out as many tombstone shapes as you need (you should get at least 12).
• Place the cut tombstones back into the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate coating. They can also be refrigerated overnight if you plan to dip them on a different day.
• In a small pot or microwave-safe bowl, combine the vanilla candiquik (or almond bark) and vegetable shortening. Melt over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth. Be very careful not to overheat the candiquik, as it can seize.
  3-4 squares Vanilla candiquik,
  1 Tbsp vegetable shortening
• Once melted and smooth, add a few drops of black gel food coloring. Stir the food coloring into the chocolate mixture until it creates a speckled, stone-like appearance. The imperfect mixing of the gel with the white chocolate will naturally create this effect.
  Black gel food coloring
• One by one, dip each cold Rice Krispie tombstone into the speckled chocolate mixture, spooning chocolate over it to ensure full coverage. Use a fork to gently remove the tombstone from the chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. A word of caution: the warm chocolate may cause the marshmallows in the Rice Krispies to soften slightly, so work quickly and carefully.
• Place the dipped tombstones on a silicone baking mat or wax paper to allow the chocolate to set completely. This may take 15-30 minutes at room temperature, or faster in the refrigerator.

To Add Lettering onto the Tombstones

• Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 5 round piping tip (or any small round tip). Fill the bag with the reserved white buttercream. Gently push the buttercream down into the bag, twist the top to seal, and carefully pipe “RIP” onto each set tombstone. Allow the lettering to dry slightly before handling.
  Reserved Buttercream

To Frost the Cupcakes & Assemble

• Fit a clean piping bag with a Wilton 1M star piping tip (or any large open star tip). Fill the bag with the orange buttercream. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled chocolate cupcakes using the center-out-center technique: start piping in the center of the cupcake, swirl outwards to the edge, then continue to swirl inwards and upwards, progressively stacking the frosting to create a tall, beautiful swirl.
• Generously sprinkle Oreo crumbs over the buttercream on each cupcake to mimic freshly disturbed earth.
  Oreo crumbs
• Carefully place one finished tombstone onto the top of each frosted cupcake, pressing it gently into the buttercream to secure. If any tombstone feels unstable or particularly large, you can discreetly support it from behind with a toothpick.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.