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Black Velvet Cupcakes

overhead photo of black velvet cupcakes with halloween sprinkles.
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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Black Velvet Cupcakes are spine tinglingly delicious. The cupcakes are moist, rich, and decadent, with a bold chocolate flavor. Filled with raspberry jam and topped with a black cocoa buttercream, these are a scary good Halloween treat.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 130g all purpose flour
  • 50g black cocoa powder
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 140g neutral flavored oil (canola, vegetable, or avocado)
  • 2 large eggs- room temperature
  • 130g full fat sour cream
  • 130g whole milk- room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar

For The Filling and Frosting: 

  • 7 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
  • 170g salted butter- room temperature
  • 300g powdered sugar
  • 50g black cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons milk- room temperature
  • small pinch of salt

Instructions

MAKING THE CUPCAKES

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners
  2. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt until well combined.
  3. Next, pour the oil, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vinegar into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no traces of flour remain.
  4. Fill the prepared cupcake liners two-thirds of the way full and bake for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

FILLING:

  1. Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a cupcake corer or a sharp knife to cut a hole in the center of each cupcake. (you can snack on the bits you removed!)
  2. Fill each with 1-2 teaspoons of raspberry jam

FROSTING:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter on high speed until light and pale in color.
  2. To the butter, add in the powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, milk, and a small pinch of salt. Start mixing on low until everything is combined, then turn the speed up to high and beat for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Transfer the black cocoa buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe a swirl of buttercream on each cooled and filled black velvet cupcake.
  4. Decorate as desired, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients ensures that they blend together easier resulting in a smoother batter.

  • Measure properly: I've listed the ingredients in grams and suggest you use a scale to measure. This is the most accurate way to bake and get the best baked goods every time.

  • Don't overmix: Cake batter should be mixed until the ingredients are *just* combined. Too much and they'll end up being tough.

  • Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full: I found that 2/3rds of the way full is the magic number for these black velvet cupcakes. They rise beautifully and are the perfect height, not too short and not too tall.

  • Don't over bake: You want the cupcakes to come out of the oven once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  • Have fun with decorations: This is the place to get creative! There's a bunch of Halloween cupcake ideas on Pinterest or check out a few of my easy ideas below.

  • Note about the color: Not all black cocoa powders are the same, and some won't be as dark as these cupcakes you see pictured! If you'd like to ensure the black is DARK, use a few drops of black gel food coloring!
  • Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Keywords: black cocoa cupcakes, halloween black velvet cupcakes, black velvet cupcake recipe

Find it online: https://www.coleinthekitchen.com/black-velvet-cupcakes/