Black Velvet Cupcakes

What creams like Halloween more than a rich, dark black, and spooky more than a batch of Black Velvet Cupcakes? These cupcakes are velvety, moist, fluffy, and hands down delicious!

About This Recipe

• I have a couple more Chocolate Cupcake recipes that are rich and decadent, but this Black Velvet Cupcake recipe is perfect for the occasion!
• What makes these cupcakes unique and super black is the cocoa powder. I have issues using artificial colours and do whatever it takes to create the desired colour. These cupcakes use the darkest Cocoa Powder you can purchase. This cocoa powder has an intense dark colour and flavour. See, A perfect way to avoid using black artificial colour.
• The other ingredients are as easy as Flour, Egg, Sugar, Oil, Baking Powder and Soda, vanilla extract, White Vinegar, and Brewed Coffee.
• I want to tell you about the White Vinegar first. The vinegar reacts with baking soda, creating carbon dioxide bubbles, a leavening factor.
• Well, the brewed coffee enhances the chocolate flavour. Anytime you are making a chocolate cake, adding some coffee flavour brings out the chocolate flavour. I add Espresso Powder or Brewed Coffee to all my chocolate recipes.

How To Make These Black Velvet Cupcakes

• Sift all dry ingredients, including the Cocoa Powder, which tends to clump up.
• Melt the Butter and beat it with sugar.
• Add the Oil and White Vinegar and keep mixing until the mixture is smooth.
• Add in the Egg and vanilla extract. At this point, we need to beat the mixture for a good 2-3 minutes. The mixture will turn into a smooth, creamy mixture!
• Start adding the dry ingredients, alternating with the brewed coffee. Do this in three passes. Start and finish with dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
• Fill the lined cupcake cavities to ⅔ of their capacity. Bake them and let them cool down before frosting.

How To Make The Frosting

• There is a SECRET to how to make the perfect Cream Cheese Frosting! And that is not to mix the cream cheese with the powdered sugar directly. Adding the sugar to the Cream Cheese will dilute its consistency and make it runny and very difficult to work with.
• The very first step is to leave the cream cheese out of the fridge a couple of hours before. Butter should be at room temperature but not too soft and melting!
• Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is creamy, pale, and fluffy.
• Sift the powdered sugar and mix ½ teaspoon of Meringue Powder into it. Lower the speed of your mixer and start adding the sugar to the butter ¼ cup at a time, and beat well after each addition.
• After adding all the powdered sugar, add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and mix well. Beat the mixture until it is creamy and smooth.
• On medium speed, start adding the cream cheese one tablespoon at a time until all the cream cheese is incorporated.
• Bring the speed down and let the mixture mix for a few minutes. This will remove any air pockets in the mixture!
• If you find the mixture is not smooth and spreadable enough, add one or two tablespoons of heavy cream.
• Use your desired piping tip to frost the cupcakes.

The Chocolate Skulls

• Melt about 350 grams of dark or semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler. Stir constantly to avoid seizing the chocolate.
• Fill up the Skull Molds with melted chocolate. Gently tap the mold on the counter to release the air bubbles.
• Let them firm up at room temperature, and place one on top of the frosting.

See more related recipes here:

Monster Chocolate Cookies,

Pumpkin Sour Cream Cheesecake,

Chocolate Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Frosting

📖 Recipe