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    Home > Recipes > Holiday Recipes

    Black Velvet Cupcakes (Vegan)

    Updated: Apr 26, 2025 | Published: Oct 14, 2022 | by Amanda | 6 Comments

    Skip to Recipe

    Get ready to try the smoothest dark chocolate cupcakes you've ever tasted. These black velvet cupcakes are simple to make, super light and dreamy and effortlessly vegan. Plus they're a little spooky.

    If you like my black candy apples, you are going to love these.

    Black cupcakes in copper cake liners.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • What You'll Need
    • What is Black Cocoa?
    • How to Make Black Velvet Cupcakes
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQs
    • More Cupcakes!
    • Make This Recipe
    • Leave a Comment

    Why This Recipe Works

    • These vegan cakes are wonderfully light and airy.
    • We love that they are naturally black.
    • They are smooth with an amazing cake crumb.
    • These cupcakes are super simple to make.
    • I've triple tested them and
    • they're perfect for Halloween or an elegant dessert.

    What You'll Need

    Black velvet cupcake ingredients in a grid labelled.

    Flour. I use regular old all-purpose flour. You could swap to cake flour for a lighter cake but honestly, I wouldn't bother. These cakes are super light with a beautiful crumb.

    Buttermilk (soy milk + apple cider vinegar). Buttermilk helps create a light and tender crumb in cakes. We are making our own vegan buttermilk by combining soy milk with apple cider vinegar. I find soy milk works best to mimic traditional buttermilk. The apple cider vinegar also works to activate our baking soda.

    Black Cocoa. Most of the ingredients for these black velvet cupcakes you'll have in your pantry or fridge. To make these cakes gloriously black, you're gonna need black cocoa. I get mine here in Australia at Cakers Warehouse (not sponsored) but I've also seen it on Amazon. You'll find it at most specialty cake suppliers.

    Coconut yoghurt. Using yoghurt or sour cream in cakes adds moisture without making the batter more liquid. You can use any plain vegan yoghurt here.

    Sugar. I use raw caster sugar for pretty much all my cooking. Regular caster sugar works or you can use a finer granulated sugar.

    Oil. Any neutral flavoured oil will do here although I tend to use sunflower oil most often. Oil adds moisture and fat but also helps to keep cakes moist for longer than butter based cakes.

    Baking powder & soda. While both of these are leavening agents, baking powder gives us height while soda gives more horizontal air. Does that may sense? One goes up while the other goes out.

    What is Black Cocoa?

    Black cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been heavily dutch processed or alkalised. It is smoother tasting than other cocoa-powders and has no colouring, making it an awesome natural black food colouring.

    If you've had an Oreo, you know what black cocoa tastes like.

    How to Make Black Velvet Cupcakes

    You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    Step 1. Sift the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda and powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

    Step 2. In a separate bowl combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining wet ingredients and whisk in the wet mixture to the dry until combined. Don't over-mix, just whisk until most of the lumps are gone but a few is OK.

    Two images of cupcake ingredients whisked and then combined.

    Steps 3 and 4 Line a 12-pan muffin tray and fill each one two-thirds with the batter. Bake in a preheated oven (170° C or 350°F) for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.

    Two images of cake batter mixed and in cupcake moulds.

    Step 5. Remove from the oven to completely cool before frosting.

    Baked cupcakes before frosting.

    Step 5. Prepare buttercream and pipe onto cold cupcakes to serve.

    Expert Tips

    • Sift the black cocoa. Like all cocoa, black cocoa gets a bit lumpy so sift it into your cake batter and buttercream.
    • Don't wear white. Black cocoa can get in everywhere and it's a bugger to clean. I haven't had it stain anything but I have been a hot mess with black hands on more than one occasion.
    • Don't over-mix the batter. I should get this stamped on my forehead, I say it so often. Always whisk or stir cake batters until combined and most of the lumps are gone but stop there. A few lumps won't hurt as much as rubbery cakes. Rubbery cakes? Now that's a tragedy.
    • Darken the buttercream. To make your buttercream super black, add a drop or two of natural black food colouring. I actually don't do it myself, but if you want a true black you'll have to give it a little help. You can also add a touch of food quality charcoal if you have it.

    Black velvet cupcakes on a wooden table.

    FAQs

    What do black velvet cupcakes taste like?

    Like the smoothest dark chocolate cake you ever ate. In fact, these cakes are so smooth that some people can't really detect the chocolate - it's not a strong flavour but geez it's good. They taste like Oreo cookies.

    Do black velvet cupcakes freeze?

    Yes they do! Without the buttercream of course. After allowing them to cool completely, wrap the cakes (only) in foil and transfer them to a sealed, freezer-proof container. Freeze for up to three months. To thaw, remove from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Top with buttercream to serve.

    Can I make these gluten-free?

    You can. I use Bob's Red Mill One-to-One Baking Flour for best results.

    More Cupcakes!

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      Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
    • Frosted vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles.
      Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
    • A chocolate cupcakes with the paper holder pealed back to show the cake.
      Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
    • A chocolate cupcake on a wooden board.
      Chocolate Beetroot Cakes (V+GF)

    Sign up to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Insta for all the latest news. If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook "Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family" It's full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.

    Make This Recipe

    Black cupcakes on a rustic wooden table.

    Black Velvet Cupcake Recipe

    These black velvet cupcakes are simple to make, super light and dreamy and effortlessly vegan. Plus they're a little spooky.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert | Holiday Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 542kcal
    Author: Amanda Logan

    Equipment

    • stand mixer or whisk for buttercream

    Ingredients 

    For the Cupcakes

    • 1¼ cup / 190g all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup / 60g black cocoa powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup / 180ml soy milk
    • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup / 220g raw caster sugar or caster sugar
    • ⅓ cup / 80ml sunflower oil
    • ½ cup / 125g yoghurt vegan

    For the Frosting

    • 1 cup / 250g vegan butter
    • 3 cups / 450g confectioners' sugar (icing) sifted
    • ⅓ cup / 60g black cocoa sifted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk or more as needed

    Instructions

    For the cakes

    • Preheat oven to 170°C or 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan.
    • Sift the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda and powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
    • In a separate bowl combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave for 2-3 minutes.
    • Stir in the remaining wet ingredients and then add them to the dry, whisking until combined. Don't over-mix, just whisk until most of the lumps are gone but a few is OK. 
    • Fill each cake mould two-thirds with the batter and transfer to the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. Once done, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

    For the buttercream.

    • With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on low speed until creamy - about 30 seconds.
    • Add a cup of sifted confectioners’ sugar Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, and add the sifted black cocoa powder. Continue beating for a minute- you may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl - before adding another cup of confectioners' sugar.
    • Add in the vanilla, milk and beat again until combined. Add half a cup more of the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the final half-cup if you need to.
    • The buttercream should be smooth and silky but hold its shape well. Transfer it to a piping bag and pipe onto your cupcakes to serve. I used a Wiltons 1M tip for the pictured cakes.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Notes

    Tips. 
    • Sift the black cocoa. Like all cocoa, black cocoa gets a bit lumpy so sift it into your cake batter and buttercream.
    • Don't wear white. Black cocoa can get in everywhere and it's a bugger to clean. I haven't had it stain anything but I have been a hot mess with black hands on more than one occasion.
    • Don't over-mix the batter. I should get this stamped on my forehead, I say it so often. Always whisk or stir cake batters until combined and most of the lumps are gone but stop there. A few lumps won't hurt as much as rubbery cakes. Rubbery cakes? Now that's a tragedy.
    • Darken the buttercream. To make your buttercream super black, add a drop or two of natural black food colouring. I actually don't do it myself, but if you want a true black you'll have to give it a little help. You can also add a touch of food quality charcoal if you have it.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 235mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 807IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried It?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.
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    Comments

      5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    1. G says

      February 10, 2025 at 5:19 am

      5 stars
      Made many cupcakes and a beautiful four tiered cake out of this recipe. For the cake I used an oreo buttercream and raspberry jam between the layers, and the black velvet buttercream on the outside it was an absolute hit with everyone, and I don't really consider myself a baker so clearly the recipe is a good one and easy to follow!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        February 10, 2025 at 7:17 am

        Oh, that's amazing! I am so happy you enjoyed cakes - the tiered cake sounds AMAZING. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Tara says

      October 31, 2024 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      I'm obsessed after pairing these cupcakes with ermine frosting Guests raved

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        October 31, 2024 at 1:46 pm

        Love! Ermine frosting would be perfect with these. x

        Reply
    3. Geerte says

      October 30, 2024 at 2:36 am

      Hi, I tried your black cupcake recipe today. But my buttercream isn’t black, but still brown. Did you use something else in your recipe, to get the black colour?

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        October 30, 2024 at 7:31 am

        Hi Geerte, add a few drops of black colour to get the dark frosting. I mention it in the "tips" section of the post. The black cocoa will get you a dark grey frosting, but the colouring will get you to black. I will copy the tips into the recipe card now to make it easier to find. 🙂

        Reply
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