Easy Halloween spider and bat cupcakes

Makes: 24-27 servings 

Prep Time: 10 min. 

Cook Time: 15 min. 

Ingredients

Chocolate cupcakes

• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar 
• 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) baking powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (7g) baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon (6g) kosher salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk 
• 1/2-cup (120 ml) vegetable oil 
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water 

Butter cream frosting

• 1 cup (240g) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 2 1/2 cups (250g) icing sugar 
• 1-2 drops orange food colouring

Cupcake decoration

• 48 - 54 candy eyes
• Licorice string
• 36 Oreo biscuits

Method

Chocolate cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees . 
2. Line muffin tins with paper liners. 
3. In a large mixing bowl of your whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. set aside. 
4. In another bowl, add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium for 1 min. 
5. Using a spoon, slowly stir in boiling water. Note, the batter will be thin. 
6. Fill paper liners 2/3 full with mixture. Bake for 15-17 min.
7. Remove cupcakes from tin to a wire rack to cool.
8. Cool completely before frosting. 

Butter cream frosting

1. In a medium bowl, add the butter and mix with the hand mixer on medium speed for 1 min. 
2. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to mix. 
3. Halve the icing and add 1-2 drops of orange food colouring to frosting. Ready to use immediately or refrigerate for later use

Decoration

1. Add a small amount of butter cream frosting to the back of the candy eyes and stick on the 24 Oreo biscuits.
2. For the remainder 12 Oreo biscuits, twist them apart and scrap off and discard the internal icing. Slice the biscuits in half.
3. To decorate a bat, place one Oreo vertical onto the cupcake frosting, followed by the sliced biscuit slightly behind for the bat’s wings.
4. To decorate a spider, cut 8 little sider legs out of the liquorice string and place them onto the cupcake frosting. Place a whole Oreo biscuit on top.

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