Description

Delightfully rich and festive Black Cat Cupcakes made with dark chocolate fudge cake mix, enhanced by chocolate fudge pudding for extra moistness, and topped with creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. These cupcakes are decorated with candy eyes, heart sprinkles, Hershey’s chocolate ears, and chocolate Pocky whiskers to create adorable cat faces, perfect for Halloween or any fun occasion.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cupcake Batter

1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 (3.9 oz.) package chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate milk (regular whole milk can be used as substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting

1 batch Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Decorations

Chocolate sprinkles (optional, for dipping)
3 Hershey chocolate bars
24 large heart sprinkles
48 candy eyes
48 Chocolate Pocky sticks (alternatively black licorice or chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks can be used for whiskers)

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a cupcake pan with liners and set it aside.
Mix Batter: In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the dark chocolate fudge cake mix, chocolate fudge instant pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, chocolate milk, vanilla extract, salt, and mini chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated for a smooth, well combined batter.
Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon about a scant ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner, filling them approximately ¾ full to allow room for rising.
Bake: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating doneness.
Cool Cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Prepare Frosting: While the cupcakes cool, prepare the chocolate buttercream frosting according to its recipe instructions.
Frost Cupcakes: Pipe the prepared chocolate buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled cupcakes.
Apply Chocolate Sprinkles: Optional: Pour chocolate sprinkles into a small bowl, then dip each frosted cupcake upside down into the sprinkles to coat the frosting’s top evenly.
Prepare Chocolate Ears: Break each Hershey chocolate bar along the short middle divet. Cut each half into quarters, then each quarter into two triangles, creating eight pairs of ears per bar. Insert two triangular pieces into the top of each cupcake to form cat ears.
Add Cat Face Features: Place one large heart sprinkle on each cupcake to form the nose and add two candy eyes above it to create the cat’s face.
Add Whiskers: Break each Pocky stick in half. Insert two halves on each side of the heart sprinkle (cheek area) on every cupcake to mimic whiskers.

Notes

Regular whole milk works as a substitute if chocolate milk is not available.
You can replace chocolate Pocky sticks with black licorice or chocolate dipped pretzel sticks for the whiskers.
Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting and sliding of frosting.
For added texture and flavor, mini chocolate chips are mixed into the batter.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, ideal for parties or gatherings.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 310
Sugar: 24g
Sodium: 280mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 55mg