Description
Delightfully spooky and delicious, these Black Cat Cupcakes are perfect for Halloween or any fun occasion. Rich dark chocolate fudge cupcakes are enhanced with chocolate pudding and mini chips for extra moisture and flavor. Topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting and decorated with candy eyes, heart sprinkles, and chocolate ears and whiskers, these cupcakes combine indulgence with playful presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
- 1 (3.9 oz.) package chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup chocolate milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Frosting and Decoration
- 1 batch Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
- 3 Hershey chocolate bars
- 24 large heart sprinkles
- 48 candy eyes
- 48 Chocolate pocky sticks
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cupcake pan with liners. Set aside while you prepare the batter.
- Mix Batter: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, chocolate milk, vanilla extract, salt, and mini chocolate chips. Mix until well combined, scraping the sides as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Divide the batter evenly, adding a scant ¼ cup of batter to each liner so they are about ¾ full.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: While the cupcakes cool, prepare the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting according to the recipe instructions.
- Frost Cupcakes: Once cooled, pipe the chocolate buttercream frosting generously onto each cupcake.
- Add Chocolate Sprinkles: (Optional) Pour chocolate sprinkles into a small bowl. Dip the frosted tops of the cupcakes upside down into the sprinkles to coat evenly.
- Make Cat Ears: Break the Hershey chocolate bars at the short middle divet. Cut each half into quarters, then cut each quarter into two triangles, yielding 8 pairs of ears per bar. Stick two triangles into each cupcake’s frosting to form the ears.
- Create Cat Faces: Place one large heart sprinkle and two candy eyes on each cupcake to form the face of the cat.
- Add Whiskers: Break the chocolate pocky sticks in half. Stick two halves into each side of the cupcake face to create whiskers.
Notes
- If chocolate milk isn’t available, regular whole milk can be used as a substitute.
- Black licorice or chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks can be used in place of the pocky sticks for the whiskers.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting or sliding of the frosting.
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to ensure even and smooth batter mixing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
