Ready to construct the most ghoulishly glorious, spectacularly spooky, and unbelievably delicious centerpiece for your next Halloween party? A dessert that’s a cake, a batch of cupcakes, and a creepy craft project all in one? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Pull-Apart Graveyard Cake is the ultimate festive creation! We’re talking moist, surprise-swirl cupcakes, all frosted together to look like a haunted graveyard, complete with cookie tombstones, adorable marzipan ghosts, and a creepy licorice fence.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new show-stopping, festive tradition. We’ll show you the simple secrets to creating this stunning, edible work of art that is as fun to make as it is for your guests to pull apart and devour. This is a guaranteed, crowd-pleasing hit that will be the talk of your haunted gathering.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Spooky & Fun Halloween Centerpiece
What makes this Pull-Apart Graveyard so spectacularly fun is its brilliant, interactive design and its delicious, from-scratch flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive creativity. The “graveyard” itself is built from a base of classic, tender vanilla cupcakes, each with a spooky, purple grape jelly swirl inside. The brilliant trick is that the cupcakes are arranged together with marshmallows filling the gaps, then frosted as one single unit to create a “pull-apart cake.” The “dirt” is a delicious, speckled, grey cookies-and-cream style buttercream. The entire scene is then brought to life with a host of adorable, homemade decorations, including cookie tombstones, sweet marzipan ghosts and pumpkins, and a creepy licorice fence.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours 30 minutes (includes cooling) |
| Active Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 24 cupcakes |
The Graveyard’s Elements: The Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic party cake uses a handful of classic pantry staples and some fun, creative decorations.
- The Cupcakes:
- A classic, from-scratch butter and egg vanilla cupcake provides a wonderfully moist, tender, and delicious base.
- Grape Jelly: This is the secret to the spooky, surprise swirl! A portion of the vanilla batter is mixed with grape jelly to create a beautiful, purple batter that is swirled with the plain batter for a fun, hidden-color effect.
- The “Graveyard Dirt” Frosting:
- Cookies-and-Cream Buttercream: A classic, rich, and fluffy American buttercream is transformed into perfect, spooky “dirt” by mixing in finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. This not only gives it a fantastic flavor but also a perfect, speckled, greyish color.
- The Homemade Decorations:
- Marzipan: This is the key to the adorable, edible sculptures! Marzipan is a sweet, pliable paste made from almonds, which makes it like a delicious, natural modeling clay. It’s perfect for rolling and shaping into the cute little ghosts and pumpkins.
- Cookie Tombstones: A simple and brilliant shortcut! A few oval-shaped vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies (like a Milano®) are the perfect, pre-made shape for a spooky tombstone.
- The Key Equipment: Piping bags and tips are a huge help for decorating the tombstones, pumpkins, and ghosts with a professional-looking finish.
Step-by-Step to the Best Pull-Apart Graveyard Cake
This fun and festive project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Bake the Surprise-Swirl Cupcakes
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 cups of all-purpose flour, the 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, warm the 1/2 cup of grape jelly in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds, until it is loosened, and then whisk it until it is smooth.
Step 4: In another medium bowl, beat the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the 4 large, room temperature eggs with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While you are beating, gradually pour in the 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter and then the 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
Step 5: While mixing slowly, add half of your dry ingredients and then all of your 2/3 cup of milk. Follow this with the rest of the dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix the batter.
Step 6: Remove 2 cups of the finished batter and stir it into your bowl with the warmed grape jelly.
Step 7: Evenly fill your cupcake liners about two-thirds full, alternating spoonfuls of the plain yellow batter and the purple grape batter to create a marbled effect.
Step 8: Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
Part 2: Make the “Graveyard Dirt” Frosting and Decorations
Step 1: While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your frosting. In a large bowl, beat the 2 1/2 sticks of room temperature butter and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt until they are fluffy. Gradually beat in the 3 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the 3 tablespoons of milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting has a nice, spreadable consistency. Finally, beat in the 10 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies until the frosting has a speckled, greyish “dirt” look.Step 2: To make the tombstones, use your tube of black decorating icing to write “RIP” on the top half of your 5 oval sandwich cookies.Step 3: To make the ghosts, roll about two-thirds of your tube of marzipan between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut out 3 rounds. Drape each round over one of your 3 wrapped lollipops and use the black icing to dot on the eyes and a mouth.Step 4: To make the pumpkins, divide the remaining marzipan into 4 small pieces and roll each one into a ball. Roll the balls in the orange decorating sugar until they are coated, and use the black icing to pipe on a small stem.
Part 3: Assemble Your Pull-Apart Graveyard
Step 1: Arrange your 24 completely cooled cupcakes in 4 tight rows on a large serving platter or a cutting board.Step 2 (The Secret to a Smooth Top!): Fit your 15 large white marshmallows into all the gaps between the cupcakes. This will create a relatively smooth and even surface for your frosting.Step 3: Spread the “dirt” frosting over the entire rectangle of cupcakes and marshmallows so that it looks like one, single cake.Step 4: Sprinkle the top with the 1/4 cup of finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookie “dirt” and the black decorating sugar.Step 5: Now, decorate your graveyard! Stick your cookie “tombstones” into the cupcakes randomly. Place your marzipan “ghosts” and “pumpkins” around the graveyard.Step 6: Use your tube of green decorating icing to pipe little bits of “grass” poking through the dirt.Step 7: Finally, use your 6 pieces of black licorice to make a “fence” around the cake, and bend the final piece into an arch for the gateway.
Pull-Apart Graveyard Cake (The Perfect Halloween Dessert!)
An elaborate and creative ‘Pull-Apart Graveyard Cupcake’ cake, perfect as a showstopper for a Halloween party. This dessert is constructed from 24 individual vanilla and grape-flavored cupcakes arranged in a rectangle. The gaps are filled with marshmallows, and the entire surface is frosted with a ‘dirty’ cookies-and-cream buttercream to resemble a single cake. The spooky graveyard scene is then built on top using various edible decorations, including ‘tombstones’ made from decorated cookies, marzipan ‘ghosts’ and ‘pumpkins,’ and a ‘fence’ made from black licorice.
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup grape jelly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup milk
- For the Frosting:
- 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 10 chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed
- For the Decorations:
- 15 large white marshmallows
- 1/4 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1 tablespoon black or dark green decorating sugar
- Black and green decorating icing with tips
- 5 oval-shaped vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies
- One 7-ounce tube marzipan
- 3 round lollipops, wrapped
- 1/4 cup orange decorating sugar
- Seven 8-inch pieces black licorice
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until foamy. Gradually pour in the melted butter and vanilla.
- On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the egg mixture.
- Remove 2 cups of the batter and stir in the warmed grape jelly. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full, alternating dollops of the plain and grape batters.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the butter and salt until fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, then the milk, until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. Stir in the crushed cookies.
- Assemble and Decorate the Graveyard: Arrange the cooled cupcakes in 4 rows on a large platter. Fill the gaps between the cupcakes with marshmallows.
- Spread the frosting over the entire surface of cupcakes and marshmallows to create a single ‘cake.’ Sprinkle with the finely crushed cookie crumbs and black decorating sugar to look like dirt.
- Use black icing to write ‘RIP’ on the oval cookies and stick them into the cupcakes as ‘tombstones.’
- Roll out marzipan, cut it into circles, and drape them over the lollipops to create ‘ghosts.’ Use black icing to dot on faces.
- Roll remaining marzipan into balls, coat them in orange sugar to make ‘pumpkins,’ and place them around the graveyard.
- Use green icing to pipe ‘grass’ and black licorice to create a ‘fence’ and an arched ‘gateway.’
Notes
- This pull-apart cake is a great centerpiece for a party as it’s easy for guests to serve themselves by simply grabbing a cupcake.
- The use of marshmallows to fill the gaps between cupcakes is a clever trick to create a smooth, unified surface for frosting.
- The recipe involves many different decorating components, which can be prepared while the cupcakes are cooling.
- The article references a ‘Cook’s Note’ that is not provided in the text.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead party dessert!
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive party day, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in advance. The cupcakes can be baked, the frosting can be made, and all your spooky decorations can be crafted up to 2 days ahead of time. Store everything in separate, airtight containers.
- Storage: It is best to assemble the pull-apart cake on the day of your party for the freshest result. Store any leftovers, well-covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a perfect pull-apart cupcake cake?
The secret is to fill in all the gaps between the round cupcakes to create an even surface for your frosting. The brilliant and delicious trick in this recipe is to use large, soft marshmallows to fill in those gaps. They are the perfect size and shape, and they taste delicious!
Q2: What is marzipan, and is there a good substitute if I can’t find it?
Marzipan is a sweet, pliable paste that is made from finely ground almonds, sugar, and a binder like corn syrup or egg whites. It is like a delicious, all-natural, and wonderfully flavorful modeling clay that is perfect for creating edible decorations. If you can’t find it, you can use a similar amount of a white, rolled fondant instead.
Q3: Can I make this Halloween cake ahead of time for a party?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead centerpiece! The best method is to prepare all the individual components ahead of time (bake the cupcakes, make the frosting, and craft your decorations). Then, on the day of your party, the final, fun assembly will take just a few minutes.
Q4: Can I use a shortcut cake mix and frosting?
Of course! To make this recipe even easier, you can use your favorite box cake mix (a vanilla, yellow, or even a spice cake would be fantastic!) and a few tubs of your favorite store-bought buttercream frosting. You can simply stir some crushed cookies into the frosting to create the “dirt.”
Q5: What is the best way to get the purple swirl in the cupcakes?
The key is to not overmix! After you have separated your two batters, simply alternate dropping spoonfuls of the plain batter and the purple, grape jelly batter into your cupcake liners. You can then use a toothpick to give it one, quick swirl before you bake it to create a beautiful, marbled effect.