Description
These Moist Black Velvet Cupcakes are a rich, deeply chocolatey treat made with black cocoa powder to achieve a strikingly dark color and intense flavor. Topped with a creamy, luscious black cocoa frosting, these cupcakes are perfect for any special occasion or when you simply crave a decadent, tender cupcake with a velvety crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup black cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Frosting
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prep Tray: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tray with cupcake liners.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until fully combined. Set aside.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large jug or bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and sugar together until the mixture is smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until the batter is just combined and nearly smooth. Be careful not to overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
- Fill Liners and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center— it should come out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tray for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Bake remaining cupcakes as needed.
- Prepare Frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar on low speed until combined.
- Increase Speed and Beat: Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and creamy.
- Add Flavorings: Stop the mixer, then add kosher salt, vanilla extract, and black cocoa powder. Beat slowly at first, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for another 2 minutes until fully blended.
- Add Heavy Cream: Reduce mixer speed to lowest and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Beat until the frosting is very creamy, smooth, and spreadable.
- Frost Cupcakes: Using a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip or a spatula, frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
- Recipe testing was done using metric weights; using a kitchen scale for precision is highly recommended despite cup conversions.
- Recipe updated in April 2023: removed baking powder and light brown sugar, adjusted vinegar and black cocoa powder amounts for better flavor and texture.
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before starting to achieve the best texture in cupcakes and frosting.
- For frosting, European-style butter (such as Kerry Gold) is preferred for a richer and creamier result.
- If kosher salt is unavailable, substitute with half the amount of fine salt (1 tsp kosher salt = ½ tsp fine salt).
- If black cocoa powder is unavailable, use an equal amount of dutch-process cocoa powder, though the color and some flavor intensity will be lighter.
- Store cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best taste and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
