These moist, chocolatey Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting, made with black cocoa powder, are the perfect Halloween bake for the spooky season.
If you're looking for more Easy Halloween Baking Ideas, don't miss these Ghost Meringues or this Pumpkin Bread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Why This Black Velvet Halloween Cupcake Recipe with Black Buttercream Frosting Works
- Recipe name: Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting
- Ready in: 1hr 15 minutes
- Serves: 24 cupcakes
- Main ingredients: Black cocoa powder, flour, oil, eggs, baking soda, sugar, icing sugar, butter, and black food coloring.
- Perfect for: Halloween baking.
- Why I love it: These Halloween cupcakes use a traditional red velvet recipe plus black cocoa powder and a touch of black food coloring for extra drama.
- Calories: 277kcal
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If you love baking Easy Cupcake Recipes from Scratch, you have to try this recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes or these Chocolate Cupcakes with Lindt Frosting.
Jump to:
- Why This Black Velvet Halloween Cupcake Recipe with Black Buttercream Frosting Works
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting FAQs
- More Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipes
- Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
- 📖 Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Sunflower oil - Use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola oil.
- Self-raising flour - If you are using all-purpose or plain flour, weigh the same amount of flour as stated in the recipe and add 2 tablespoons of baking powder. Sift the two together before using.
- Black cocoa powder - You will need black cocoa powder to achieve the rich black color of the cupcakes and the frosting. If you can't find black cocoa powder, use normal cocoa powder; you will just need to add more food coloring.
- Black food gel - If you are using black cocoa powder, you can choose to omit the food coloring if you'd prefer not to use it. I like adding it for the rich black color it gives when combined with the black food coloring.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
You can substitute this black buttercream frosting for one of my other Easy and Delicious Buttercream Frosting Recipes. This Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting or this Chocolate Frosting with Melted Chocolate would also be delicious.
You can also fill these black velvet Halloween cupcakes with a surprise center. Try this Strawberry Cake Filling or this Blackberry Compote.
How to Make Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting
Instructions for Black Velvet Cupcakes
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2x 12-hole cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Sift together the salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Step 3: In a large jug, combine the buttermilk and vanilla, then slowly pour this into the cupcake batter with the mixer running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free. Add about ½ teaspoon of black gel food coloring to the cupcake batter and beat again until well combined and dark in color.
- Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and white vinegar, add this to the cupcake batter, and fold it through with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the 24 cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ of the way up the liner. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Instructions for Black Buttercream Frosting
- Step 1: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, cocoa powder, and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2: In a jug, combine the cream and vanilla. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly add the cream mixture to the frosting. Once added, increase the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
- Step 3: Add about ½ teaspoon of black gel food coloring to the frosting and beat again until well combined and dark in color.
- Step 4: Fill a prepared piping bag with the frosting and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate the top of each cupcake with edible homemade or store-bought pumpkins. Enjoy!
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly, so try to frost them the same day that they are baked. If you don't have time to decorate them that day, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap.
For any leftover filled and frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
Expert Tips
- Check the true temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer. If you think your cupcakes are baking too quickly, lower the oven temperature.
- Always use room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Be sure to whip the buttercream for long enough before adding it to the piping bag for decorating. It must be light and fluffy.
- Only decorate cooled cupcakes.
Black Velvet Halloween Cupcakes with Black Buttercream Frosting FAQs
Depending on where you live, this ingredient may be hard to find. So just use normal cocoa powder and a bit of black gel food coloring to get a deep black color.
This could be because your oven is too hot, or more likely because you overfilled the cupcake cases. Make sure you fill them ⅔ of the way up the paper; otherwise, you will get a 'lip' around the cupcake. Read this post, 9 Cupcake Baking Tips for the Perfect Cupcakes, for more help.
I love making this cupcake recipe for Halloween, but you can leave off the pumpkins and use this recipe year-round. Essentially, this is just a delicious chocolate cupcake recipe.
Yes, you can rely only on the black cocoa powder to add the black color to this recipe.
To freeze these delicious cupcakes, place any leftovers in a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own at home. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then top it up with milk to reach the amount of buttermilk needed in the recipe. Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled before using.
More Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipes
If you are wondering what else to bake for your dessert table at your next Halloween party, don't skip these Easy Ghost Meringues or these No-Bake Condensed Milk Chocolate Truffles. These Pumpkin Halloween Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting are also a great addition!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Vanilla Tray Bake!
📖 Recipe
Black Velvet Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pan
Ingredients
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- 120 ml sunflower oil
- 250 grams granulated white sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 260 grams cake flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 25 grams black cocoa powder
- 300 ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon black food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Black Buttercream Frosting
- 160 grams unsalted butter
- 450 grams icing sugar
- 50 grams black cocoa powder
- 85 ml heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon black food coloring
Instructions
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two cupcake trays with cupcake papers.
- Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Sift together the salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- In a large jug, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly pour this into the cupcake batter with the mixer's motor running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Add about ½ teaspoon of black gel food coloring to the cupcake batter and beat again until well combined and dark in color.
- In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and white vinegar, add this to the cupcake batter, and fold this through with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter between the 24 cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Black Buttercream Frosting
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, cocoa powder, and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug, combine the cream and vanilla. With the mixer's motor running at low speed, slowly add the cream mixture. Continue until it has all been added. Then increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
- Add about ½ teaspoon of black gel food coloring to the frosting and beat again until well combined and dark in color.
- Fill a prepared piping bag with the frosting and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate the top of each cupcake with edible homemade or store-bought pumpkins and sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Always use room temperature butter when making frostings; this way you, will get a fluffy, easy-to-pipe buttercream.
Mel says
The perfect Halloween cupcakes, I’ll definitely be making these every year