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5 from 4 votes

Black Velvet Cupcakes

By Britney Brown-Chamberlain
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 33 minutes
Servings: 16 cupcakes
a black velvet cupcake in front of a black tree with pumpkins and fake spiders.
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Black Velvet Cupcakes are a moist cake topped with a crown of smooth chocolatey cream cheese frosting - the perfect Halloween treat!

Equipment

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Ingredients 

  • 2/3 cup (160 g) Water, (Hot)
  • 2/3 cup (56 g) Black Cocoa
  • 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) Vegetable Oil, (or any neutral oil)
  • 5 tbsps (70 g) Salted Butter, (melted)
  • 2 large (100 g) Eggs
  • 1 (18 g) Egg Yolk
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Buttermilk
  • 1 1/3 cup (166 g) All Purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Black Cocoa Cream Cheese frosting

  • 1 cup (170 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 4 tbsps Corn Syrup
  • 1 cup (227 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
  • 4 oz Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
  • 1 cup (120 g) Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 cup (43 g) Black Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tbsp Heavy Cream

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f. Combine black cocoa powder and hot water in a large bowl and whisk together and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then add sugar, vegetable oil, and melted butter. Whisk for about 1 minute, until combined, then add eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, vinegar, and buttermilk. Continue to whisk until combined, about 1 minute.  2/3 cup Water 2/3 cup Black Cocoa 1 cup Sugar 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil 5 tbsps Salted Butter 2 large Eggs 1 Egg Yolk 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 tsp Vinegar 1/2 cup Buttermilk
  • Add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk together until just combined and all of there's not dry patches of flour. 1 1/3 cup All Purpose flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill each liner about 2/3 with the cupcake batter. Back for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the black cocoa frosting - melt chocolate chips and corn syrup in the microwave in 15 second increments until melted. Set aside. 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 4 tbsps Corn Syrup
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 2 minutes, then add cream cheese and beat together for 1 minute. Then add powdered sugar and black cocoa. Continue to mix together until combined, then add melted chocolate mixture and heavy cream. 1 cup Salted Butter 4 oz Cream Cheese 1 cup Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup Black Cocoa Powder 1 tbsp Heavy Cream
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl of your stand mixer and continue to mix for another minute. You can add a couple drops of black food coloring for a true black frosting, but this is optional.
  • Add the black cocoa buttercream to a piping bag and pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 85mg, Sodium: 165mg, Potassium: 206mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 641IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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