Black Velvet Cupcakes

These Black Velvet Cupcakes are a spooky twist on the classic red velvet cake! The perfect treat for Halloween!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 17

Total Time 35

Servings cupcakes

Calories 380kcal

Cost 5

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.

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!

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.