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Perfect Black Velvet Cupcakes Easy Halloween Recipe

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These black velvet cupcakes are the perfect Halloween treat—a tender, dark cocoa cake with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Quick and easy to make, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any spooky gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ cup black cocoa powder (preferably The Cocoa Trader brand)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon black gel food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (full-fat)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until no lumps remain.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and vegetable oil until well combined. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk, and whisk until smooth.
  4. Stir in the black gel food coloring until the batter is uniformly dark.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Stir in the white vinegar. You’ll see a few bubbles form; work quickly.
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops should spring back when lightly touched.
  9. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. If too soft, refrigerate for 15 minutes before piping.
  11. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a generous swirl onto each cooled cupcake. Optionally, top with black sprinkles, edible glitter, or a small candy spider.

Notes

For the black cocoa powder, don’t substitute regular Dutch-process cocoa—it won’t give you that dark color or unique flavor. If you can’t find black cocoa, use a mix of ¼ cup Dutch-process and ¼ cup regular cocoa, but the color will be more of a dark gray. For the buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. The gel food coloring is non-negotiable—liquid coloring will thin out the batter too much and give you a lighter, more purple-ish hue. Don’t overmix the batter; mix until the flour just disappears. Room temperature ingredients matter—take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Use an oven thermometer to ensure accurate temperature. If frosting is too runny, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up. If too stiff, add a tablespoon of milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: black velvet cupcakes, Halloween cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, black cocoa cupcakes, easy Halloween dessert

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/perfect-black-velvet-cupcakes-easy-halloween-recipe/