Sinfully dark and hauntingly delicious, these black velvet cupcakes are the ultimate Halloween dessert. With a rich, moist, chocolate base and topped with buttery, creamy, black-hued frosting, these indulgent treats are spookily irresistible!
(So many Halloween puns coming so get ready)...Are you ready for a devilishly delightful treat that will send shivers down your spine?? (See what I did there? ๐) Sink your teeth into these spooky, ultra decadent black velvet cupcakes! These indulgent creations are the ultimate Halloween dessert, promising to leave all you (and your friends!) spellbound.
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The Secret Ingredients
A dark twist on a classic treat, these black velvet cupcakes have a couple major differences from the traditional chocolate cupcake version.
Firstly and most importantly, you will need black cocoa powder, which is NOT the same as regular cocoa powder. Not only does it add the visually striking ebony color, but black cocoa powder is much deeper and richer, infusing the cupcakes with intense, decadent chocolate flavor.
Secondly, buttermilk. Although you can technically substitute it with regular milk, using buttermilk imbues the cupcakes with extra moistness and rich flavor.
Finally, grab a little black food coloring to really enhance the "black" of these black velvet cupcakes. I prefer the gel kind as it keeps the batter/frosting from thinning out.
Tips and Tricks
- Though it may be tempting, use cake flour and not all purpose flour. It has a lighter, fluffier texture and thus is better at conveying the "velvet" part of these cupcakes. If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute it with a homemade variation! โ Remove 2 tablespoons from 1 cup all purpose flour. Replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift together (no seriously, sift it) and voila! 1 cup cake flour substitute.
- When incorporating the dry ingredients into the batter, don't overmix. Overmixing can lead to a dense and tough texture, so gently whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients on a slow speed until just combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine - they will dissolve during baking!
- Use a cookie scoop to measure out the cupcake batter into the muffin pan. This will help ensure even baking and uniform sizing.
- Wait until the cupcakes are COMPLETELY cooled before frosting. I know I know, it's hard and patience is the worst. But if you don't, the frosting will melt and it'll be a super sad day.
Freezing and Storage
For storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
For freezing: Let them cool completely, DO NOT frost. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator the day before serving. Frost and decorate the day you plan to serve them for optimal freshness.
Baking in advance: These black velvet cupcakes can be baked a day or two in advance. Once done in the oven, remove them from heat and let cool completely. For best results, do not frost! Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and then frost the day that you plan to serve them.
Commonly Asked Questions About This Recipe
In order to achieve a rich, moist texture in black velvet cupcakes, buttermilk is definitely preferred. However, if you can't find any, you can make your own substitution with milk and lemon juice OR vinegar. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk, let it sit for a few minutes until it starts to curdle, and use it as a 1 to 1 substitute for buttermilk in the recipe.
Technically, yes. However, I have not done so, ergo I can't say how successful the recipe will be when swapping cake flour for gluten-free flour.
Absolutely! If you prefer not to use food coloring, you can omit it from the recipe. The cupcakes will still have that deeper, richer chocolate flavor from the black cocoa powder, they just won't be as black in color.
If you have a question not answered here, drop me a line below in the comments section ๐๐ป.
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 Cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Sinfully dark and hauntingly delicious, these black velvet cupcakes are the ultimate Halloween dessert. With a rich, moist, chocolate base topped with buttery, creamy, black-hued frosting, these indulgent treats are spookily irresistible!ย
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ยผ cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)
- ยฝ cup black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- ยฝ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ยพ cup granulated white sugar
- ยผ cup dark brown sugar
- ยฝ cup buttermilk
- ยผ cup plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: Black food coloring
For the Black Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks), room temperature
- 4 ยฝ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup black cocoa powder
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I like to use half vanilla extract and half vanilla paste)
- Black food coloring
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Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350หF. Line a standard 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners (I used 2 cupcake liners per cup). Set aside.
- Whisk together cake flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream together eggs, oil, and sugars in a large bowl until smooth on a medium speed.
- Whisk in buttermilk, yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Whisk the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, fill the baking cups in the prepared muffin pan about ยพ of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cup comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
Make the Black Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a standing mixer, whisk butter on a medium speed until light and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Sift in powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until just combined.
- Pour in cream, vanilla extract, and a couple drops of black food coloring. Whisk until completely smooth. Add more black food coloring one to two drops at a time, whisking between each addition, until desired shade of black is reached (I used about 8 drops).ย
Assemble the Cupcakes
- When the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each one with black chocolate buttercream frosting by piping or by using an offset icing spatula.
- Garnish with sprinkles and sanding sugars as desired. Take a bite and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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