Description
Delightfully spooky Black Cat Cookies made with Devil’s Food cake mix, rich black cocoa frosting, and fun edible decorations perfect for Halloween or themed parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of 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. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, mix the Devil’s Food cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined. Add black food coloring if you want a deeper black color.
- Scoop Dough: Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten the dough balls.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are set. The centers may appear soft but will firm up as they cool. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack completely cool.
- Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk, beating until smooth and spreadable. Add more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Frost Cookies: Once cookies are fully cooled, spread a generous amount of black cocoa frosting on each cookie.
- Decorate Eyes: Draw pupils on the M&Ms using the black edible marker. Press two M&Ms onto each cookie for eyes.
- Add Nose: Place a large heart-shaped sprinkle upside down under the eyes to create the nose.
- Add Whiskers: Use kitchen shears to cut small pieces of black licorice for whiskers, pressing them into the frosting around the nose.
- Create Ears: Break Hershey chocolate bars into pieces, cut each piece into two squares, then diagonally cut squares into triangles. Press two triangles into the top of each cookie to form ears.
- Set Frosting: Allow the frosting to set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature away from sunlight for 3-4 days.
- Freeze cookies for up to 3 months. Flash-freeze on a baking sheet until solid before transferring to freezer-safe container.
- Reduce oil to 1/3 cup if using a smaller 13.25 ounce cake mix to maintain proper dough consistency.
- Use black food coloring sparingly as the black cocoa powder already gives a dark color.
- For easier whiskers, cut licorice pieces when frosting is still soft.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
