Graveyard Cupcakes

These were a big hit last Halloween, I made something different this but kept getting ask about last years so here they are :) I've made choc mint ones by adding a couple drops of DoTERRA peppermint to both the cake mix and frosting mix. 

Another version I’ve done is with chocolate ganache or butter icing and ground cookies to resemble dirt. (recipe below)

Graveyard Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake;

175 g all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

A pinch of salt

50 g cocoa powder

225 g coconut sugar (vegan brown or regular sugar will work too)

275 ml hot water

60 ml sunflower oil or other mild-tasting vegetable oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Butter Icing;

225g vegan butter 

350g icing sugar

1 Tbls non-dairy milk (optional)

Any food colouring (add one drop at a time as you don't need much)

If wanting chocolate butter icing add in 30g cocoa powder.

Decoration;

Vegan chocolate bits

Graveyard mold

Green vegan food dye (I used yellow too for a more Fall look)

Shredded unsweetened coconut

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c. / 350f. and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.

Mix the dry cake ingredients together until well combined.

Stir in the remaining wet ingredients until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.

While cake is cooking you can double broil your chocolate pieces until melted, pour into mold and then refrigerate until needed. You can also prep the coconut but mixing a few drops of food color in a bowl with the coconut until the desired color has formed and then set aside.

Divide the mixture equally between the 12 muffin cases/or greased tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Use a cake tester or skewer to test the middle of the cupcakes come out clean.

If not, bake for a further 5 minutes.

Once cupcakes have cooled to room temperature make the icing.

In a large mixing bowl add the vegan butter (at room temperature) and sifted icing sugar and beat until mixed.

Add any food colouring you like and beat until mixed.

If too thick add the milk slowly. Either spread onto cupcake with a spoon or knife or pipe.

Pipe onto cupcakes, place upside down in the bowl of coconut and gently shake excess.

Once all cupcakes have icing and coconut then remove the chocolate gravestones from the fridge and place one in each cupcake.

Refrigerate until eating as the butter icing can easily melt.

Version 2

Replace the butter icing with chocolate ganache

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

2/3 cup vegan chocolate bits 

2 Tbls maple syrup/agave/date syrup

Vegan GF chocolate cookies or crackers (I used about half a box of the ones below)

Method

Blitz crackers in a food processor until resembling breadcrumbs, then set aside.

In a small sauce pan heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Add chocolate bits and syrup and stir continuously until completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature before using. 

Once ganache is cooled place cookie crumbs in a bowl and spread a small amount of chocolate on a cupcake and push down in the cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate before serving and when ready to serve push the gravestones in. 

*the fondant version is just the butter icing version with a small disc of fondant on top - I had a spider press mold.