Description
Super moist black velvet cupcakes are made with black cocoa powder for their signature color and taste just like Oreo cookies.
Ingredients
Scale
Black Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (85g) black cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
Black Cupcake Batter
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (50g) black cocoa powder (dutch processed)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120g) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (55g) vegetable oil
- 1 Egg + 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) hot brewed coffee or hot water
Instructions
- Make the black frosting first so it has time to sit and get darker before using it. Start by adding 1 cup of butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and using a hand mixer and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Whisk together 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 cup of black cocoa powder and then add half of it to your creamed butter, mixing in slowly until it’s incorporated, then add the remaining powdered sugar and cocoa powder along with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 Tbs of heavy cream and a pinch of salt and slowly mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to get everything evenly mixed together, then increase the speed on the mixer to medium speed and continue to mix the frosting for 2 minutes until it’s smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, mix in an extra tablespoon of cream or milk. If it’s too thin, mix in an additional tablespoon of powdered sugar.
- At this point you can either put the frosting in a piping bag, ready to use when your cupcakes are completely cooled. Or if you want to decorate later, put the frosting in an airtight container and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. When you’re ready to use it, take it out of the fridge for 30 minutes to come back to room temperature and mix it up again in the stand mixer or with a hand mixer to bring back the proper texture. The color of the frosting will get darker over time.
- To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Prepare two 12-muffin tins by adding 18 cupcake liners (6 muffin spaces will be unused). If you have non-stick baking spray, spray it into your cupcake liners to help them easier to peel off when they’re going to be eaten.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup black cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt and whisk until fully combined.
- To the dry ingredients, add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
- Add the 1/2 cup of hot brewed coffee or hot water to your batter and let it sit for 60 seconds, then whisk the batter until everything is fully mixed. The batter will be quite thin.
- Transfer the batter to a large measuring cup or container with a spout for easy pouring. Pour batter into the 18 prepared cupcake liners, filling only halfway up. Don’t overfill!
- Bake one tray at a time in the preheated 350F oven for 16 – 18 minutes until the muffins have puffed up and spring back quickly when the top is pressed or an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a cupcake reads 205F.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before decorating.
- To decorate, fill a piping bag fitted with your preferred large tip (I use a star tip) and pipe frosting onto the tops of all of your cupcakes and add sprinkles if so desired.
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container until ready to serve. They’re best enjoyed within a day or two.