These easy black velvet cupcakes are perfectly moist and chocolatey! They're made with black cocoa for an intense black color (without food coloring) and a smooth chocolate flavor, and they're topped with a decadent black cocoa buttercream. The spooky black color makes these cupcakes ideal for Halloween parties, though they're delicious any time of year!
These witchy black cocoa cupcakes are the perfect Halloween dessert! The quick and easy cupcakes use a one-bowl chocolate cake recipe and take just 30 minutes of hands on time to bake and decorate!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
These black velvet cupcakes are delightfully moist and fudgy. The cupcakes are made with my moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes recipe, swapping black cocoa for Dutch or natural unsweetened cocoa in the original recipe, so you already know they're a 10/10! The decadent black cocoa buttercream frosting makes them extra indulgent.
The smooth, earthy chocolate flavor of these cupcakes makes them uniquely decadent. If you like the chocolate flavor of Oreos (which are also made with black cocoa), you'll love these cupcakes!
These cupcakes have a deep black color without food coloring. The rich black color of the cupcakes and frosting is achieved without food dye and is instead thanks to the natural color of the black cocoa.
These cupcakes are perfect for Halloween! They're delicious any time of year, but they're especially perfect for a spooky and festive Halloween celebration.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Cupcake Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour - No need for cake flour. This cupcake batter is perfectly moist and tender with classic all-purpose flour.
Black Cocoa Powder - Black cocoa powder gives this cake a deep, smooth, slightly earthy chocolate flavor as well as a rich black color. Black cocoa is a heavily-alkalized (or ultra-Dutched) cocoa powder that gives baked goods an intense black color without the use of food coloring.
See the Recipe FAQs section below for more information about black cocoa powder, including where to buy and substitutions.
Whole Milk - Whole milk adds moisture and richness to the cake batter. You can substitute a lowfat milk if you prefer.
Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil adds needed moisture and fat to the cake batter. Compared to butter, it helps to create a more tender cake.
Sour Cream - Sour cream helps to create a moist cake, and its acidity activates the baking soda, helping the cake to rise when baking. You can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but note that doing so may add a subtle tangy flavor to the cake.
Hot Coffee - The hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder, deepening its chocolate flavor, while the coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I promise you won't taste the coffee flavor in the cupcakes, but you can substitute an equal measure of boiling water if you prefer.
Black Cocoa Buttercream Ingredients
Butter - Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the frosting, and be sure that the butter is a cool room temperature before you begin in order to achieve a smooth frosting.
Black Cocoa Powder - Just like the cupcake batter, the black cocoa powder adds deep chocolate flavor and black color to the frosting.
Confectioners' Sugar - Confectioners' sugar provides the sweetness for the frosting and dissolves easily into the butter. Do not substitute granulated sugar, which will create a gritty frosting.
Whole Milk - A little bit of whole milk adds a final bit of creaminess to the frosting. You can substitute a low fat dairy milk, though the frosting may be slightly less creamy.
Sprinkles - Sprinkles are optional, but I love the witchy vibes of this sprinkle mix!
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- Stand mixer (or large bowl with an electric hand mixer), for mixing the frosting.
- Cupcake pan, for baking the cupcakes.
- Black cupcakes liners, for lining the cupcake pan. You don't have to use black liners, but I like them because they don't detract from the intense black color of the cupcakes.
- Pastry bag with piping tip and/or offset spatula, for piping or spreading the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the frosting. Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add cocoa powder and beat well.
Step 2: Add sugar slowly beating well and scraping the bowl often. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 3: Place a damp towel or paper towel over the bowl of frosting and set aside for 2 hours to let the color deepen while you bake the cupcakes.
Step 4: Make the cupcake batter. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 5: Add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla and stir until well combined.
Step 6: Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will be very thin.
Step 7: Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes at 350º F for 18-20 minutes.
Step 8: Using a piping bag fitted with a piping tip or an offset spatula, pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes. Top with sprinkles (optional).
Allison's Top Tips
Don't skip letting the frosting sit at room temperature (covered with a moist towel to keep it from hardening), since the color will darken as it sits. I learned this tip from Candice at Eat More Cake by Candice. I recommend making the frosting first, so it can sit while you bake the cupcakes and let them cool. Don't re-whip the frosting before using, since it will lighten in color if air is again added.
Since the batter is so thin, I find it easiest to use a large liquid measuring cup to pour the batter into the cupcake liners rather than trying to scoop the batter into the pan.
When baking cupcakes, I often will fill every other well in the pan, baking just 6 at a time. This helps the tops to rise and gives more space so that they don't run into each other if they do overflow a bit. Let the remaining batter sit at room temperate, carefully remove the first batch of cupcakes from the pan 5-10 minutes after they come out of the oven, let the pan cool, refill the pan with the remaining batter, and bake the other 6 cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute an equal measure of Dutch cocoa powder for a dark chocolate flavor that's deep brown in color or natural unsweetened cocoa powder for a classic chocolate flavor that's medium brown in color.
I like King Arthur Baking black cocoa powder, but there are many brands available. I have never been able to find black cocoa in a traditional grocery store, but you can purchase it direct from the brand online or from large online retailers like Amazon.
Absolutely! Since the cupcake batter is adapted from my moist and fudgy chocolate cake recipe, you can simply use that recipe with black cocoa (instead of Dutch or natural unsweetened as noted in the recipe) to create a black velvet sheet or layer cake. You'll probably want to scale up the frosting recipe, depending on the size of your cake and how you wish to decorate it.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Wrap completely cooled cupcakes with plastic wrap before sealing in a plastic bag or airtight container and freezing. Cupcakes can be wrapped together in groups and do not need to be individually wrapped. Defrost cupcakes at room temperature before frosting and serving.
More Halloween Dessert Recipes
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Recipe
Black Velvet Cupcakes
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer (or large bowl with an electric hand mixer)
- Cupcake pan
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Buttercream
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- ½ cup (42 grams) black cocoa
- 3 ½ cups (397 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) whole milk
- Sprinkles (optional)
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 ⅛ cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅜ cup (32 grams) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- 3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) full-fat sour cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (114 grams) hot coffee
Instructions
Make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter,
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.2 teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add cocoa powder and beat well on medium speed. Scrape the bowl.½ cup (42 grams) black cocoa
- Add sugar slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.3 ½ cups (397 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 Tablespoons (28 grams) whole milk
- Place a damp towel or paper towel over the bowl of frosting and set aside for 2 hours to let the color deepen while you bake the cupcakes.
Make the cupcake batter.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ⅛ cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar, ⅜ cup (32 grams) black cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder, ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The batter will be thick, similar to the texture of brownie batter.3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk, ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) full-fat sour cream, 1 large egg,, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will now be very thin.4 ounces (114 grams) hot coffee
Bake the cupcakes.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Frost the Cupcakes
- Using a piping bag fitted with a piping tip or an offset spatula, pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if using.
Sally says
Can you make chocolate cocoa cupcakes in a sheet pan?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Sally! I haven't tested this cake batter in a sheet pan, though I expect it would work well. This cupcake batter is slightly adjusted from my moist and fudgy chocolate cake recipe, which I've tested thoroughly baking as a layer cake, in a 9x13 pan, and in an 8x8 pan. You could use the measurements in that recipe (double those here in the cupcake recipe) and replace the Dutched cocoa with black cocoa to bake a 9x13 black cocoa cake. Bake times for the different pan sizes can be found in the recipe notes of the chocolate cake recipe.
- Allison
zee says
love love love your creativity.