Black Magic Bat Cupcakes
 
 
Serves: 12 regular or 24 mini
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup hot milk or boiling water (the milk will give this a really rich texture)
  • ⅓ cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder or regular instant is fine too
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 x-large eggs
  • Dark Chocolate Buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks (softened)
  • ⅔ cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
  • 2½ cups icing sugar
  • 1 tbls pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbls milk, almond, soy or water (room temperature)
  • The BATS
  • 12 Oreo cookies – and a bunch more because you are going to break some like we did!
  • 1 tube of white icing for the “glue” – you can make your own but this was way easier to pipe on.
  • Store bought candy eyes
Instructions
  1. For the cupcakes:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Line a 12 cup muffin tin or spray a non-stick one very well. (or a 24 mini muffin tin will work too)
  4. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside.
  5. In another bowl whisk hot milk or boiling water, cocoa powder and espresso powder together until dissolved. Set aside.
  6. Beat butter and sugar until well combined.
  7. Add vanilla and egg to the butter/sugar mix and continue to beat until well combined and slightly creamy.
  8. Add the flour mix to the butter mix and beat until well combined (Here’s trick for this treat, quickly mix in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula first, then continue to beat with the stand mixer. That way you don’t have the entire mixture explode all over your counter AND your head like I have done MANY TIMES!
  9. Add the chocolate/water mix and continue to beat until well combined.
  10. Distribute the batter among muffin tins. I used an ice cream scoop and it was really the best thing ever. (The batter will make 12 regular size cupcakes or 24 minis).
  11. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  12. For the Buttercream Icing
  13. In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  14. While the butter is mixing, sift together the powder sugar and cocoa powder.
  15. Once the butter is light and fluffy, add the sifted cocoa and sugar with vanilla extract, then with 2-3 tbls of milk at a time.
  16. Check for consistency and if needed add in the additional 2 tbls of milk. You want a nice spreadable icing, not too stiff or loose.
  17. Place in piping bag if desired and decorate cooled cupcakes.
  18. The BATS
  19. To assemble:
  20. Twist open cookies and scrape out the white filling
  21. Cut or break each cookie in half, these are your two wings (each cookie will give you 4 wings
  22. Stick two wings onto each cupcake.
  23. Dot a bit of icing onto the back of the candy eyes, stick them on and you’re done!
Recipe by SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL EATING at https://simplybeautifuleating.com/2015/10/20/black-magic-bat-cupcakes/