Black Cupcakes

Learn how to make black cupcakes that are good for Halloween! These are a Devil’s food cake that is paired with black cocoa powder and then swirled with black frosting and sprinkles to top it off. The Halloween cupcakes to serve up for your parties this season.

Now these are not quite a black velvet cupcake as they don’t have all the same ingredients, but it is a similar concept. The black cocoa frosting is one of our favorite things about these cupcakes. Pair your cupcakes with this Halloween drinksyringe jello shots or even this Frankenstein cupcakes!

This Black Cupcake Recipe Is..

• Black color cupcake and frosting
• Dark chocolate cake flavor
• Good for Halloween party
• Made from boxed cake mix
• Spooktacular

Ingredients Needed

Devil’s Food Cake – This cake is the base of the cupcakes. You will add extra ingredients to elevate the flavor.

Canola Oil – Canola or vegetable oil will work for this.

Egg Whites

Chocolate Pudding – This is going to heighten the flavor of the cupcakes and offer a moist texture.

Black Cocoa Powder – This is going to give a rich black color to your cupcakes.

Salted Butter – This is the base for the buttercream frosting.

Dark Chocolate Syrup – This is a twist to the buttercream frosting.

Black Gel Food Coloring – Here you will help to enhance the black color to the frosting.

Black Sugar – This is what we used to sprinkle on top to give it a fun glitter effect.

How to Make

Full directions on how to make black cupcakes are in the printable recipe card. This is a quick visual walk through.

Step One: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Then line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Step Two: Next you will add in the cake mix and the pudding, and black cocoa powder. Mix until the cupcakes are fully combined.

Step Three: Next in a bowl add your water, oil, and eggs. Then use a mixer to stir up the wet ingredients. Scoop your cupcake batter into the cupcake

Step Four: Bake your cupcakes as directed, then allow your cupcakes to cool.

Step Five: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled you will work on making your black buttercream. Mix it up into a creamy texture.

Step Six: Put the frosting into a piping bag with a round tip. Then pipe onto each of the cupcakes and top with black sanding sugar.

Variations and Tips

• You can use a regular muffin tin, mini, or jumbo size if you want.
• Cupcake liners will ensure the cupcakes don’t stick in the pan.
• Don’t overmix the cupcake batter, just mix to incorporate ingredients and then dish into the cupcake tins and bake.
• Swap the buttercream with a chocolate cream cheese frosting instead.
• The black food dye will be the only way to achieve black in color on the black chocolate cupcakes.
• You could even do a red velvet cupcakes recipe with a black frosting for Halloween theme.
• Add in Oreo cookies or other mix-ins with the cookie batter.
• Make sure to not overbake the cupcakes or it will cause them to dry out.

Storing Cupcakes

Because of the buttercream dark chocolate frosting, you will find that storing these cupcakes in the fridge is going to help prevent the cupcake frosting from breaking down as fast. Store for 3-5 days in the fridge.

You can also freeze any cupcakes you don’t plan to eat right away. Just store in a freezer friendly container for 2-3 months. Then thaw on the counter for an hour or place in the fridge to thaw overnight.

Practical notes

Can we make cupcakes with frosting in advance?

Go ahead and make these cupcakes a day in advance of when you want to serve them up. Just store them in the fridge frosted, and then you can allow them to become room temperature before serving.

What is the secret to fluffy cupcakes?

Making sure your eggs are room temperature will help create a fluffy texture to your cupcakes. Just mix up and then pour in the muffin cups and bake. Just don’t overbake or it can dry out and take away the fluffy texture of the cake.

How do you keep cupcakes moist after baking?

After you bake your cupcakes the best thing to do is allow the cupcakes to fully cool. Then frost as you normally would and then place in an airtight container and refrigerate the cupcakes. You will find that it keeps the cupcakes moist in the meantime before you serve them up.

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Ingredients

Makes 24 servings

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 3.5 ounce chocolate fudge pudding
• 3 tablespoons black cocoa powder

Black Buttercream Frosting

• 2 cups salted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons dark chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons black cocoa powder
• Black gel food coloring
• 2 tablespoons black sugar

Equipment

• Muffin Tin
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then place your cupcake liners in the muffin tin. Or grease your pan well.
2. Next you will grab a bowl and add your cake mix, cocoa powder, and chocolate pudding. Mix to combine.
3. Add in the water, oil, and egg whites. Mix to combine.
4. Pour the batter 3/4th the way in the muffin tin, and bake 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are baked all the way through. Place a toothpick in the center and see it comes out clean of wet batter, that is when you know the cupcakes are done.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Black Buttercream Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl you are going to cream your softened butter until light, fluffy and creamy.
2. Add in the vanilla and then slowly work in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, a little at a time. Mix until it forms stiff peeks.
3. If you find the color isn't as rich black add in the gel black food coloring to reach desired color. We added some into our frosting to bring out a bolder black.
4. Place frosting in a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe your cupcakes and then top with the black sugar if you want or even sprinkles.

Kitchen notes

Storing

– we like to store these cupcakes in the fridge as it will help the frosting not break down as fast. The cupcakes will store for 3-5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze any cupcakes you don’t eat in a freezer friendly container for 2-3 months.