Black Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Black cupcakes with black frosting and sprinkles.

5 from 6 votes

These black velvet cupcakes are simple to make, super light and dreamy, with a delicate chocolate flavour. They're effortlessly vegan and just a little spooky. Main ingredients: black cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, sugar, neutral oil, natural yoghurt, vanilla.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dessert, Holiday Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 542kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

Equipment

stand mixer or whisk for buttercream

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1¼ cup all-purpose flour 190g
⅓ cup black cocoa powder 60g
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup soy milk 180ml
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raw caster sugar 210g, regular caster sugar also works.
⅓ cup sunflower oil 80ml
½ cup yoghurt 125g, vegan, plain and unsweetened

For the buttercream

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

Instructions

For the cakes

Preheat oven to 170°C or 338°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 to make buttermilk.
Combine the remaining wet ingredients and the buttermilk and then add them to the dry, whisking until combined. Don't over-mix, just whisk until most of the lumps are gone and there are no streaks of dry flour.
Fill each cake mould up 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

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the vegan butter on low speed until creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add one cup of sifted icing sugar and beat on low for 30 seconds. Add the sifted black cocoa and continue beating for another minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add another cup of icing sugar, followed by the vanilla and dairy-free milk. Beat until combined and smooth.
Add the remaining icing sugar gradually, using only as much as needed to achieve a smooth, silky buttercream that holds its shape. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip for the pictured cakes.

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