These Black Velvet Cupcakes are a spooky twist on the classic red velvet cake! The perfect treat for Halloween!
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These Black Velvet Cupcakes are my favorite Halloween treat! Super rich, tender, and fluffy cupcakes topped with creamy black buttercream. The flavor of this cupcake closely resembles red velvet cake, just with a bit more chocolate!
If you are a fan of desserts that aren't super sweet, this is the cupcake for you! Using extra dark cocoa powder + buttermilk and vinegar gives these cupcakes a tangy and almost bitter flavor, just like you'd get in dark chocolate.
My other favorite fall treats include my No-Bake Pumpkin Cookies and my Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts!
Why You Need to Make These Black Velvet Cupcakes
- They are the perfect spooky Halloween treat! Who doesn't love a spooky dessert?
- No food coloring is used to make these, just black cocoa powder.
- They're super easy to make, and you can make them a day or two ahead even!
- They aren't super sweet, so if you love the bitterness of dark chocolate and the tang of red velvet cake, you will love these.
- Decorate them with spooky sprinkles, googly eyes, or some vampire teeth and fake blood for even more Halloween ideas!
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some notes on a few ingredients- please see the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
- black cocoa powder- black cocoa powder isn't something you can usually pick up at your local grocery store. It's a super dark dutch-processed cocoa powder that gives these cupcakes and the icing that black coloring. I bought this brand of black cocoa powder on amazon and it is amazing. I highly recommend it!
- buttermilk- buttermilk is a staple in a velvet recipe, it's what gives you that moisture and tangy taste! It is also acidic, which reacts with the baking powder/soda and is what causes the cake to rise. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. I explain below in the "tips & tricks" section!
- oil- we are using oil instead of butter for this recipe. I recommend using vegetable or canola oil.
- vinegar- vinegar is another staple for a velvet cake, adding a little extra acid to help the cupcakes rise.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until there are no streaks of flour left. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 4: Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about halfway full. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan to cool completely.
Step 5: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
If you want the frosting to be darker in color, place it in the fridge for a few hours. Bring to room temperature before frosting and mix a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
Step 6: Frost and decorate your cupcakes. I used an offset spatula to frost my cupcakes, but you can also use a frosting tip and piping bag (or ziploc bag). Decorate with sprinkles or however else you'd like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most grocery stores won't sell black cocoa powder on shelves. I purchased mine through amazon, it was super easy! There are a few different brands you can purchase.
You sure can if you want to deepen the black color! Add a few drops of black food coloring to the wet ingredients before mixing the batter together, as well as the frosting.
Yes! You can make both the cupcakes and frosting a day before. Bake the cupcakes a store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting can be made a day before a stored in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and mix before frosting the cupcakes.
Yes! These cupcakes would look super cute with some raspberry/cherry/strawberry jam in the middle to make them extra spooky!
Tips and Tricks
- Make homemade buttermilk- pour ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Fill the measuring cup to the ½ cup mark with milk. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes. This allows the mixture to curdle like buttermilk.
- Fill the cupcake liners half full- any more and your cupcakes will overflow!
- Let the icing sit- The color of this frosting deepens if you let it sit for a little. I put mine in the fridge for a few hours and came back to much darker cupcakes!
- You can substitute some of the black cocoa powder for regular cocoa (a 50/50 split) for a less bitter cupcake. Just know the cupcakes won't be as dark! You could always add black food coloring.
Storing & Freezing
Store these black velvet cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
You can also bake and freeze these (unfrosted) cupcakes for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly container. Bring to room temperature before frosting.
Want to try more cupcake recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Black Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup black cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ¼ cup oil vegetable or canola
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup black cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until there are no streaks of flour left. Be careful not to overmix.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about halfway full. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan to cool completely.
Make buttercream
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- If you want the frosting to be darker in color, place it in the fridge for a few hours. Bring to room temperature before frosting and mix a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
- I used an offset spatula to frost my cupcakes, but you can also use a frosting tip and piping/ziploc bag. Decorate with sprinkles or however else you'd like!
Notes
- Make homemade buttermilk- pour ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Fill the measuring cup to the ½ cup mark with milk. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes. This allows the mixture to curdle like buttermilk.
- Fill the cupcake liners half full- any more and your cupcakes will overflow!
- Let the icing sit- The color of this frosting deepens if you let it sit for a little. I put mine in the fridge for a few hours and came back to much darker cupcakes!
- You can substitute some of the black cocoa powder for regular cocoa (a 50/50 split) for a less bitter cupcake. Just know the cupcakes won't be as dark! You could always add black food coloring.
Nutrition
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