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Best Black Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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These impossibly moist, pitch-black velvet cupcakes are topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Made with black cocoa powder and a touch of vinegar for a tender crumb, they’re a dramatic and delicious Halloween treat that’s surprisingly simple to make.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup black cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon black gel food coloring
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Orange and black sprinkles (optional)
  • Mini candy eyeballs (optional)
  • Crushed Oreo cookies (optional)
  • Pretzel sticks (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift if cocoa is clumpy.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract, and vinegar until smooth.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (about 12 strokes). Do not overmix.
  5. If using, stir in the black gel food coloring until the batter is evenly dark.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
  7. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides.
  9. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Start on low speed, then increase to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
  10. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a generous swirl onto each cooled cupcake. Add decorations immediately if desired.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are crucial for a tender crumb. Don’t skip the vinegar—it reacts with baking soda for lift. Black cocoa can be clumpy; sift if needed. For a darker crumb, add black gel food coloring. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: black velvet cupcakes, Halloween cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, black cocoa, velvet cake, spooky desserts, fall baking

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