Description
This So-Easy-It’s-Spooky Bat Cake is a fun and festive dessert perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion. Featuring a devil’s food or orange cake base with vibrant orange or rich chocolate frosting, this cake is decorated with a striking bat silhouette created by sifting cocoa or powdered sugar over a bat-shaped stencil. The addition of chopped peanut butter cups between layers adds a surprise twist of flavor and texture. The recipe offers simple steps and yields a moist, flavorful cake that serves 16 people.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 devil’s food or orange cake mix (regular size)
- 1 teaspoon orange food coloring (optional, for orange cake)
Orange Frosting
- 4-2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Orange food coloring, as needed
- 6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk
Chocolate Frosting
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 to 7 tablespoons 2% milk
Additional Decorations
- 10 peanut butter cups, finely chopped
- Dutch-processed cocoa or confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
- Card stock for bat pattern
- Foil (to wrap bat pattern)
Instructions
- Prepare Cake: Follow the package directions to prepare and bake the cake mix using two 9-inch round baking pans. If making the orange cake version, add 1 teaspoon of orange food coloring to the batter. Bake as directed, then cool the cakes completely according to the package instructions.
- Create Bat Pattern: Draw or print a bat silhouette on a piece of card stock and carefully cut it out. Wrap the bat pattern in foil to keep it sturdy and allow for easy handling during dusting.
- Make Frosting: For devil’s food cake, prepare the orange frosting by beating together confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, orange food coloring, and enough 2% milk to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. For orange cake, prepare the chocolate frosting by combining confectioners’ sugar, sifted baking cocoa, softened butter, vanilla extract, and 2% milk until smooth and spreadable.
- Trim and Assemble: Using a long serrated knife, level the tops of the cooled cakes if they have domed. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of the chosen frosting evenly over the top, then sprinkle the chopped peanut butter cups over the frosting layer. Position the second cake layer on top, inverted so the bottom is facing up.
- Frost the Cake: Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the assembled cake thoroughly. Smooth the frosting to create an even surface.
- Chill: Refrigerate the frosted cake for about 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set and firm up for decorating.
- Decorate with Bat Silhouette: Once chilled, place the foil-wrapped bat pattern gently onto the top center of the cake. Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift Dutch-processed cocoa or confectioners’ sugar evenly over the cake surface and bat stencil. Carefully lift the bat pattern straight up to reveal the bat shape in contrast to the dusted background.
Notes
- Use either devil’s food or orange cake mix depending on your desired flavor and frosting pairing.
- Adjust the amount of food coloring in frosting to get a vivid orange hue.
- Leveling the cake layers ensures an even stacking and a professional look.
- Chilling the cake before decorating helps the powdered cocoa or sugar adhere cleanly.
- Wrap the bat stencil in foil to prevent cake crumbs from sticking and to make lifting easier.
- For a richer flavor, use Dutch-processed cocoa when dusting rather than confectioners’ sugar.
- Ensure the peanut butter cups are finely chopped to evenly distribute texture without large chunks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cake)
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
