Description
These Halloween Bat Cupcakes are a fun and festive treat perfect for spooky celebrations. Moist chocolate cupcakes are topped with a rich, homemade chocolate frosting and decorated with creative Oreo cookie bats featuring candy eyeballs. Easy to make and sure to impress, these cupcakes bring a playful touch to any Halloween party.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (softened)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup heavy cream (or hot water)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate bar (melted and cooled)
Decorations
- 1 package standard Oreo cookies (extra for breakage)
- 1 package mini Oreo cookies
- 20 pairs candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Make Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, softened butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Melt Chocolate: Chop the semi-sweet baking chocolate into small pieces. Melt using a double boiler or in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool but do not let it harden.
- Prepare Cocoa Mixture: Whisk together the unsweetened cocoa powder and hot water (or hot heavy cream) until smooth and shiny.
- Make Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the cooled melted chocolate, cocoa mixture, and powdered sugar. Beat until the frosting is fully combined and fluffy.
- Pipe Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with a #1M or open star tip with the frosting. Pipe swirls on top of each cooled cupcake.
- Assemble Oreo Bats: Cut standard Oreo cookies in half carefully to create bat wings. Separate cookies from the cream filling. Place two Oreo halves side by side as wings.
- Attach Bat Faces: Twist a mini Oreo cookie and press the half with cream at the wing center to act as the bat’s body, using the cream as glue.
- Add Eyes: Dab two small dots of frosting on the mini Oreo half using a toothpick or small piping tip, then place two candy eyeballs on top.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Place the completed Oreo bats on top of the frosted cupcakes carefully.
Notes
- Use extra Oreo cookies to allow for breakage when cutting and assembling the bats.
- Ensure the melted chocolate in the frosting is cooled sufficiently so it doesn’t melt the butter when mixed.
- You can substitute hot water for the heavy cream in the cocoa mixture for a lighter frosting.
- Make cupcakes a day ahead and store covered to enhance flavors and save time on the day of your event.
- For added fun, try using colored candy eyes or edible glitter on the frosting swirl.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 342 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 312 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 71 mg
