Description
Black Velvet Ghost Cupcakes are a spooky and delicious Halloween treat featuring a tender, rich black velvet cupcake base made with black cocoa powder and buttermilk, topped with smooth cream cheese frosting decorated with candy eyes for a fun ghostly effect.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour (substitute all purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup black cocoa powder (substitute dutch cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (substitute whole milk + 2 teaspoons white vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Frosting Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (if needed for consistency)
Decoration
- Candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare cupcake pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to prevent sticking and for easy removal.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Incorporate buttermilk and vinegar: Add the buttermilk mixed with white vinegar to the wet ingredients and stir gently until combined.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cupcakes tender.
- Fill cupcake liners and bake: Divide batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes: Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter and cream cheese together until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Frost the cupcakes: Once cupcakes are completely cool, generously frost each cupcake with the cream cheese frosting, shaping the frosting to resemble ghosts by using a piping bag or spatula.
- Add candy eyes: Decorate each cupcake with candy eyes to create the ghost faces, completing the fun Halloween look.
Notes
- These adorable ghost cupcakes have a tender black velvet cupcake base topped with cream cheese frosting and candy eyes for a fun Halloween treat!
- Use room temperature eggs, butter, and cream cheese to ensure a smooth batter and frosting.
- Black cocoa powder gives these cupcakes their intense dark color and unique flavor; Dutch cocoa powder is a suitable substitute.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk with white vinegar as a substitute as noted.
- Feel free to customize the ghost decorations with additional spooky elements for a Halloween party.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 424 kcal
- Sugar: 57 g
- Sodium: 192 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
