Owl Cupcakes! For a Happy Owl-O-Ween.

Cake Design, Chocolate, Desserts, Halloween / Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

How are you decorating your cupcakes this Halloween?

I thought about all the usual suspects: skulls, eyeballs, ghosts, witches, werewolves and mummies. And then the answer became frighteningly obvious: owls. Because nothing sends a shiver down my spine like the sound of a “HoooOOOOooooot.” Or the sight of that swivel-head. Bloodcurdling!

Then I found this owl design in “Hello, Cupcake!,” and it’s as easy as a witch in a broom shop. DANGEROUSLY close to Sandra Lee territory. But it’s Halloween! Time to embrace the tacky!

Now, let’s get our hoot on.

Owl Cupcakes

Adapted from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson’s “Hello, Cupcake!”

  • 12 chocolate cupcakes
  • 1 can chocolate frosting
  • 24 Oreos
  • Medium bag of M&M’s
  1. Separate the Oreos. (You might want to microwave them for a few seconds first.) Use a paring knife to remove any crumbs from the cream filling.
  2. Using a serrated knife, make 2 parallel cuts 1/2 inch in from the edge on each plain cookie half. (The two outside edges will be used for the ears.)
  3. Spoon 1 cup of chocolate frosting into a Ziploc bag, press out any excess air and set aside. Spread the remaining frosting on the cupcakes.
  4. Using a little frosting, attach 2 of the large ear pieces, rounded sides in and about 1 1/2 inches apart, on top of each of the cupcakes. Angle the ears slightly away from each other, and allow them to extend about 3/4 inch beyond the edge of the cupcake.
  5. Place two cream-sided cookie halves, cream side up, on the upper half of each cupcake to make the eyes.
  6. Snip an 1/8-inch corner from the bag with the chocolate frosting. Pipe lines of frosting along the length of the cookie ears to cover. Starting with the edge at the top of the cupcake, pipe the feathers with the frosting using a squeeze-and-pull motion. Work inward from the edge in slightly overlapping rows until the section above the eyes is covered. Pipe a few feathers on the edge just below each eye.
  7. Press a yellow M&M in the middle of each cupcake to make the beak. Use a dot of frosting on the cream of each cookie to attach a brown M&M to the eyes of the cupcakes.

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73 thoughts on “Owl Cupcakes! For a Happy Owl-O-Ween.”

  1. These might be the most adorable cupcakes that I have ever seen. And I mean, anyone who follows food blogs has seen a lot of cute cupcakes.

    But seriously, those GIANT googly eyes? Freakin ingenious. I love them!! These are getting printed out for my binder of “things to make when my baby can appreciate it”.

  5. What a HOOT. One of my nephews still loves that silly game where you put your face right up against theirs and ask them when they grew an extra eyeball. I can just see a chocolate cake with a whole row of these on top (or maybe just three…) Thank you in advance for upping my cool factor!

  10. “Time to embrace the tacky” — amen to that! You SAY that they are easy to do, but somehow I just know that mine would not look like that. I’ll just have to visit yours! They are TOO FUN!!

  12. LOL @ Sandra Lee comment. Looks like you had a “hoot” of a good time! Love your cupcakes. Thanks for baking with me this week!
    Clara @ iheartfood4thought

  19. you know what scares me? Wind chimes. I hate wind chimes. Ominous freaking wind chimes. Especially the high pitched ones all sproadically tinkling. Gives me the shivers.

  20. Yes! You rocked the cupcakes this week! I have this book too, it is amazing. I have only tried the corn ones so far – now I want to try these, you make them look sooo good. Great job.

  22. These are great!
    If I make it in time for tonight…I’ll do some mouse cupcakes. I’ve done them before. Of course not nearly as cute as your owls.

  27. cute, Cute, CUTE! I’m gonna have to get me that book! And Sandra Lee wouldn’t have made those cupcakes from scratch (decorations don’t count in my book :-)

  29. Very cute…who would not love to see these at a party? You get extra credit this week for going the extra mile…maybe two. I had to giggle…I can so see you and Sandy in the same room discussing food prep…what I would not give to see that! LOL. I do think, however, she would latch onto your cupcake idea in the time it takes to say “alls you gotta do….” (It’s a Wisconsin thing I think.) Great post, but then I expect no less…that’s why I am here each week!

  49. Great job on the cupcakes! I really need to check out that book–I bet my girls would get a kick out of making some cool cupcakes.

  55. […] Cute Owl Cupcake Owl-O-Ween with Dorie’s Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes October 28, […]

  61. OMG!! They are spectacular! I LOVE that book! Now I can see how great it can traslate its audience! Wonderful and adorable!!

    Ilove your site am would like to add it to my roll!

  64. Definately one time when I can say, “Now why didn’t I think of that??” OF course I probably wouldn’t – ever. These are just too much. Sandra Lee eat your heart out.

  68. That does sound easy. But they look so, so adorable. And any time you’ve got Oreos in (or on) something, it’s bound to be delicious.

  70. I am new to baking and was stumbled up on your post on these cute cupcakes. I had to try and make them and gave it a shot. Thank you for the great idea!! I just started a blog and will begin to start posting things as I bake and decorate them.

  71. ive made these, they were extremely cute and very simple. i found this exact recipe/idea in this adorable cupcake book with many other great ideas as well … i forget the name but i borrowed it from my mother and LOVE IT! im already planning on getting the book too.

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