Black Cat Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Canned frosting, or favorite homemade buttercream recipe (or if you have a recipe of your own!)
• 1 package black candy melts
• 1 package peanut butter candy melts
• Gold pearlized sugar
• Super black gel paste food color
• Flat toothpicks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until smooth.
5. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. Stir in half of the buttermilk gently then repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk.
7. Stir until just combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
8. Pour or spoon the batter into the liners to the halfway point to avoid spilling over the sides, then bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
10. While the cupcakes cool, melt the black candy melts and peanut butter candy melts in separate dishes, then spoon into squeeze bottles.
11. On wax paper, begin making small, one-inch triangles with the black candy melts for cat-ear outlines. After about 1-2 minutes, fill in each triangle with the peanut butter candy melts, then sprinkle with the gold pearlized sugar. Allow to dry completely.
12. To make the whiskers, dip flat toothpicks ? of the way into melted peanut butter candy melts, then sprinkle with gold pearlized sugar and set on wax paper to dry.
13. Add the super black food color to the frosting until it’s a rich dark black and frost each cupcake. Gently peel two cat ears from the wax paper and push into the frosting. Add four whiskers and repeat with the remaining cupcakes.