Cupcakes

Black Cat Cupcakes

Black Cat Halloween Cupcakes are the cutest Halloween cupcakes on the block!

~Ingredients:

-Chocolate Cupcake:

1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour.

2 Cups Sugar.

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder.

1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder.

1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda.

1 Teaspoon Salt.

1 Cup Whole Milk, room temperature.

2 Pasteurized Egg Whites, room temperature.

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil.

2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.

1 Cup Coffee, warm.

-Frosting:

1/2 Cup Butter, softened.

8 oz Cream Cheese.*

3 - 4 Cups Powdered Sugar.

2 - 3 Tablespoons Milk.

2/3 Cup Cocoa Powder.

-Topping / Decorations:

1/3 Cup Chocolate Sprinkles.

12 Red Hearts from Runts candy.**

24 Green or Yellow M&Ms.

1 Box Pocky Sticks.***

24 Ears made from chocolate bars.

~Directions:

Making the Cupcakes:

Step 1: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line the cupcake tray with liners.

Step 3: Whisk together the Milk, Oil, Coffee and the Vanilla in a large bowl until well mixed and slightly frothy.

Step 4: Add in the dry ingredients mixture and whisk until just barely combined and smooth. Do not over mix!

Step 5: Spoon the batter into your prepared cupcake pan. Filling it only 3/4 full.

Step 6: Bake until set and slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 7: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Making the Frosting:

Step 8: Beat the butter and the cream cheese until smooth.

Step 9: Add the cocoa powder and mix until smooth. 

Step 10: Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk.

Step 11: Continue to add in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add more milk if it becomes too thick.****

Making the Eyes:

Step 12: With a black edible marker draw cat eyes on the M&Ms and set aside.

Putting it all Together:

Step 13: Frost the cooled cupcakes and place on the m&m eyes and red heart nose.

Step 14: Roll the cupcakes in the chocolate sprinkles.

Step 15: Chop the chocolate bars into triangles to make ears and place onto the cupcakes. 

Step 16: Break the Pocky sticks into small pieces and poke into the cupcakes by the "nose" to make whiskers.

~Recipe Notes:  

*If you don't have cream cheese you can just use an additional 1/2 cup butter, softened.

**We used the red hearts from Runts candy but instead you can use 12 pink jelly beans.

***Pocky sticks are usually in the asian food aisle. We love using these because most people when they add whiskers to their cat cupcakes use black licorice. We don't like black licorice. So we always substitute Pocky sticks in instead. They're just little biscuit sticks covered in chocolate. You can also use chocolate covered pretzel sticks for the whiskers.

****You can also put the frosting a ziploc bag with the corner cut out and pipe the frosting that way.

Enjoy!

Please leave us a picture in the comments below if you make it or have any questions!

XoXo Hannah and Hailey :)