Description
Delightfully spooky Black Cat Cookies made from Devil’s Food cake mix, topped with rich black cocoa frosting and decorated with candy eyes, heart-shaped noses, licorice whiskers, and chocolate ears. Perfect for Halloween or any fun occasion, these soft, chocolaty cookies combine easy baking with creative decorating.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box Devil’s Food cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (reduce to 1/3 cup if using a 13.25 ounce cake mix)
- Black food coloring (optional)
Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
Decorations
- 40 green or yellow M&Ms
- Black edible marker
- 20 large heart-shaped sprinkles
- Black licorice
- Hershey chocolate bars
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make Dough: In a large bowl, combine the Devil’s Food cake mix, eggs, and oil until smooth. Add black food coloring if desired to deepen the cookie color.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten them.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set and centers are soft but will firm while cooling. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat softened butter until creamy in a medium bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon milk, beating until smooth. Add more milk until spreadable.
- Frost Cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, spread a generous amount of black cocoa frosting on each cookie.
- Create Eyes: Draw pupils on the M&Ms with an edible black marker, then press two M&Ms onto each cookie as eyes.
- Add Nose: Place one large heart-shaped sprinkle upside down beneath the eyes for the nose.
- Make Whiskers: Cut small pieces of black licorice with kitchen shears and press them into the frosting around the nose as whiskers.
- Add Ears: Break Hershey bars along cuts, cut each piece into two squares, then diagonally into triangles. Press two triangles into the top of each cookie as ears.
- Set and Serve: Allow the frosting to set for a few minutes before serving your spooky black cat cookies.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature away from sunlight for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cookies for up to 3 months by flash-freezing on a baking sheet, then transferring to airtight container or freezer bag.
- Use black gel food coloring for a more intense color if desired.
- Adjust frosting milk quantity to achieve desired consistency for spreading or piping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
