Bat Cupcakes

Table of Contents

1. Bat Cupcakes Ingredients
2. Substitutions and Additions
3. How to Make Bat Cupcakes
4. How to Serve Bat Cupcakes
5. Storage
6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
7. MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
8. JUMP TO RECIPE

Bat cupcakes are frighteningly good, made with moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a fun edible bat decoration. Spooky and delicious, these cute bat cupcakes would add plenty of fun to your Halloween celebrations.

Looking for more adorably haunting treats to help you celebrate? You’ll want to make Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies, Halloween Sugar Cookies, and Halloween Marshmallow Pops.

Bat Cupcakes Ingredients

You will need:

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 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

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup hot water or heated heavy cream
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, melted and cooled

Decorations

• 1 package regular Oreos (you will not need the full package, but it’s best to have extras in case of breakage)
• 1 package mini Oreo cookies
• 20 pairs candy eyeballs

PRO TIP: It is best to have an abundance of Oreo cookies as they sometimes break when cutting them into two pieces.

Substitutions and Additions

EYES: The tiny size of candy eyeballs looks best for the bats. However, larger eyeballs can be fun to add quirky character. 

CAKE MIX: Use any chocolate cake recipe and any chocolate frosting recipe that you’d like. For a swirled frosting as we’ve used here, you will need a medium stiffness in the frosting consistency. 

FOOD COLORING: You could add black food coloring to the frosting for extra Halloween fun.

How to Make Bat Cupcakes

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line standard-size muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake ingredients: cake mix, butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 1 minute and then on medium-high speed for two additional minutes.

STEP THREE: Fill the cupcake liners about halfway full.

STEP FOUR: Bake for 15 minutes and then cool completely.

PRO TIP: Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cupcakes as the suggested baking time approaches.

STEP FIVE: Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Chop the chocolate baking bar into small pieces. Use a double boiler or 30-second increments in the microwave to melt the chocolate. Stir until fully melted and set it aside to cool. The chocolate should not cool long enough to re-harden, just cool down so that it is not hot to the touch.

STEP SIX: Use a whisk to stir together the cocoa powder and hot water (or hot cream) until smooth and shiny.

STEP SEVEN: In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter, cooled chocolate bar, cocoa powder mixture, and powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined and fluffy. 

STEP EIGHT: Fill a piping bag with the prepared frosting and fit it with piping tip #1M (or an open star piping tip). Pipe swirls of frosting on top of the cupcakes.

STEP NINE: To make a bat topper, cut an Oreo cookie in half – a swift, strong chop with a sharp knife works best for a clean cut.

PRO TIP: A little crumbling adds character to the bat wings, so don’t worry too much about having perfect halves.

STEP TEN: Separate the cookie from the cream filling.

STEP ELEVEN: Place two Oreo cookie halves side by side to form the “wings” of the bat.

STEP TWELVE: Twist one half from a mini Oreo. Using the half that still has the cream filling on it, press the mini Oreo over the center point where the “bat wings” meet. The cream filling will serve as the glue to hold the bat together.

STEP THIRTEEN: Use a toothpick or small piping tip to dab two dots of frosting on the mini Oreo “bat face.”  

STEP FOURTEEN: Place two candy eyes on the dots of frosting.

STEP FIFTEEN: Carefully place each assembled bat onto the top of each cupcake. 

How to Serve Bat Cupcakes

You don’t need a crystal ball to know that both kids and grown-ups will all enjoy these Halloween bat cupcakes. Add these crowd-pleasing cupcakes to your spooky dessert tray or serve them as a fun afternoon treat. Enjoy your cupcakes with a mug of pumpkin spice latte or hot chocolate. 

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store the homemade cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. 

IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze these sweet treats for up to 3 months. 

Bat cupcakes would be an adorably frightful addition to your fun Halloween festivities. These delicious chocolate cupcakes are so cute and so easy to make with a boxed cake mix as a base. The edible bat toppers would be a great activity to try with your kids. These Halloween themed cupcakes are sure to be a hit!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I freeze these cupcakes? 

These easy cupcakes will freeze well in an airtight container for up to three months.

How do I achieve moist cupcakes? 

To ensure your cupcakes are moist, make sure not to overbake them. Storing them in an airtight container will also ensure they maintain their moisture

How can I stop my cupcakes from sticking to the liner? 

To avoid the cupcake sticking to your cupcake liner, you can spray the inside of your liner with baking spray or purchase non-stick liners. These usually are specifically labeled as non-stick.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes
• Cookie Monster Ice Cream
• Brownie Cupcakes