Best Black Velvet Cupcakes

Name: Best Black Velvet Cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 190 g Softened butter; 190 g Caster sugar; 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract; 3 Medium Eggs; 170 g Self-raising flour; 2 Tablespoons Cocoa powder ((you can use black cocoa powder to save on food colouring)); Black food colouring ((as much as needed to get your desired shade)); 120 g Softened butter; 500 g Icing sugar; 3 Tablespoons Milk; 1 Teaspoon Almond extract ((or vanilla extract)); Black food colouring ((or black cocoa powder))

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These black velvet cupcakes are bold and elegant, making a classy Halloween dessert or a fun addition to a black-themed party. They're easy to make with simple ingredients and ready to eat from scratch in less than an hour.

black velvet cupcakes on a white surface

I'm in full-swing spooky dessert mode and have lots of Halloween baking recipes coming your way over the next couple of weeks. Today I'm sharing my recipe for these gorgeous black velvet cupcakes.

They're light and fluffy sponge cakes with hints of vanilla and cocoa throughout, and a decadent almond-flavoured frosting on top. They're super easy to make and aside from a couple of ingredients, you probably have everything you need to make them already!

For any beginner bakers reading, I've written ingredient and equipment notes below along with step-by-step instructions with photos, top tips and more to help you out. If you're the type who prefers a bullet-pointed list, you can jump straight to the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Sugar: Caster sugar, also known as superfine sugar, will give your cupcakes the best texture. If you're in a pinch, granulated white sugar will be fine- just make sure to mix it into the butter really well.
Butter: Use soft butter for cupcakes to prevent a lumpy batter. You can soften it by taking it out of the fridge at least an hour before baking. Baking spread/margarine will also work fine for this recipe and in fact will give your cupcakes a slightly softer crumb, but I personally prefer the flavour of butter.
Vanilla extract: Two teaspoons, for flavour.
Eggs: You'll need 3 medium eggs to make these cupcakes. They are the main binding ingredient in the recipe and will help to create a light, fluffy texture.
Flour: Self-raising flour is the best type of flour to use if you have it as it already has raising agents added to it. If plain flour is all you have, just add 1+½ teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe separately.
Cocoa powder: The addition of cocoa powder transforms these regular cupcakes into velvet cupcakes. I couldn't find black cocoa powder in my local stores but if you have it, use it! It's a great alternative to black food colouring which tends to stain.
Milk: You'll need this to make the black frosting and you also might need a little bit to loosen the cake batter, depending on its consistency.
Black food colouring: I prefer to use gel or paste rather than liquid colours. The latter tends to change the cake mix/frosting consistency because you need a lot more of it to get a bold colour. I used Colour Splash.
Icing sugar: For the frosting.
Almond extract: Instead of making black cream cheese frosting, I opted for a simple buttercream frosting with almond extract in it. Not only does this complement the velvet flavour really well, but it's also much quicker and easier to make.

Equipment

Black cupcake cases: 12 of them. I got mine from Amazon.
Cupcake tin: One that will fit 12 cases. I actually prefer to use a muffin tin as the deeper holes help the cupcakes hold their shape better.
Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake mix and a smaller one for the frosting.
Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing, a toothpick to test doneness, and a teaspoon and tablespoon for measuring.
Food scale: I don't usually include imperial measurements because baking really requires precise measuring to turn out correctly. I recommend using a food scale to weigh your ingredients for this reason.
Wire rack: To leave the cupcakes to cool on after they come out of the oven.
Piping bag and nozzle: I used a large star nozzle but feel free to use whichever one you like best. You could also just spread the frosting on with a spoon if you prefer, in which case you can half the frosting recipe.

How to make black velvet cupcakes step by step

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 160°C (or 140°C if you're using a fan oven) and line a cupcake or muffin tin with 12 black cupcake liners.

Step 2: Add 190g of softened butter to a large mixing bowl then add 190g of caster sugar. Beat them together with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy then stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Step 3: Measure out 170g of self-raising flour, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 3 medium eggs. Mix them into the butter/sugar mixture, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thick cake batter.

Step 4: Stir in some black gel food colouring. Start with a little bit and add more as needed until you reach your desired shade. If you're using black cocoa powder, you can skip this step.

Step 5: Divide the batter equally between your 12 cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean. Let them cool in the tin for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: To prepare the frosting, add 120g of softened butter to a bowl along with 250g of icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix well and once that's smooth, add another 250g of icing sugar and 2 more tablespoons of milk.

Step 7: Stir 1 teaspoon of almond extract into the frosting, then mix your black food colouring in. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.

Step 8: Pipe a swirl of black frosting onto each cooled cupcake then enjoy! You can add black sprinkles or other decorations if you like but I think they look quite striking served as-is.

Top tips

Use black cocoa if you have it. This will add a bit of natural colour and you'll save on food colouring.
If the batter becomes curdled, add more flour. If it's too thick, add a splash of milk to loosen it.
Put the cupcake batter in a piping bag to make dividing it between the cases super easy and neat.
Bake the cakes in a muffin tin to help them hold their shape better. I find that shallow cupcake tins tend to make them rise outwards more than upwards.

FAQs

How long do black velvet cupcakes last?

They'll last for around 5 days if you keep them in an airtight container. I'd recommend keeping them in the fridge to preserve freshness but they can be stored at room temperature too.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, for up to 3 months. You can either freeze them in airtight containers or you can freeze them on a baking tray until they're solid then transfer them to a freezer bag. This means you can just defrost one at a time if you fancy a sweet snack. Once they've been defrosted, do not refreeze.

black velvet cupcaekes on a white surface without wrappers on

More Halloween cupcakes:

I hope you have fun making these black velvet cupcakes. If you try them at home, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!