Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes

Happy Tuesday! I hope that everyone enjoyed a nice long weekend. I spent part of the weekend dog-sitting at my parents' house and got an early start on some Halloween baking. Every year I have to make at least one Halloween-inspired dessert. Last year I make these Dark Chocolate Spider Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache- so cute and fun! At the time, I had the idea to make these Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes but decided to wait another year to make them happen. 

These Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes are very similar to the Dark Chocolate Spider cupcakes. Both use my very favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. The recipe always results in perfectly moist and chocolatey cupcakes. And the best part is that it is a one-bowl recipe. Not only are they incredibly easy to make, but there is only one bowl to clean up after you are done. The cupcakes are then dipped in a rich chocolate ganache, followed by a bowl of purple sanding sugar. You could also dip them into chocolate sprinkles (like I did with the Spider Cupcakes), but I really like the way that the purple sanding sugar looks. To make the wings, I took a few Oreos, removed the white cream, and cut each chocolate cookie half into two halves. Any round chocolate cookie would work. Later this week I have one more Halloween recipe to share- I seriously love Halloween baking!

Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Dark Chocolate Spider Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache
Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Purple sanding sugar
Candy eyes
6 Oreos, cream removed and each half cut into two halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the ganache, combine the heavy cream and chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl set on tip of a pot of barely simmering water. Allow the chocolate chips to melt completely, stirring occasionally, stirring throughout the process. Do not let the chocolate burn. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.

Take cooled cupcakes and dip them into the bowl of chocolate ganache one at a time, making sure to completely cover each top. Then dip each cupcake into the purple sanding sugar. Return to the wire rack. Place Oreos on top of each cupcake and hold in place for a few seconds. Add the candy eyes. Leave the cupcakes on the wire rack for a few minutes to let everything set.