Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons dark baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- black food color gel, as needed
- non-stick cooking spray
- cupcake liners
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- black food color gel, as needed
Decorations
- cherry preserves (optional, for filling)
- black sprinkles
- gummy bats
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cupcakes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, buttermilk, distilled white vinegar, vanilla extract, and eggs until well blended.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Add black food color gel to achieve the desired deep black color, mixing well. Note that the batter will be thinner than usual but will bake perfectly.
- Prepare Cupcake Pan: Spray a cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with cupcake liners for easy removal.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Pour the batter into each liner, filling about 3/4 full to allow room for rising.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and dark cocoa powder until smooth using a hand or stand mixer. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, milk, and black food color gel; beat until smooth. Adjust thickness with more confectioners sugar if too thin, or a tiny bit more milk if too thick.
- Prepare Cupcake Centers: Once cooled, use a knife to cut out a 1-inch plug from the top center of each cupcake. Optionally, fill the hole with cherry preserves.
- Frost the Cupcakes: Using a pastry bag fitted with a large tip, generously frost each cupcake.
- Decorate: Top each cupcake with black sprinkles and place a gummy bat on top for a festive Halloween touch.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of black food coloring depending on how dark you want the cupcakes and frosting.
- Using buttermilk gives the cupcakes a tender crumb and slight tang.
- If you don’t have cherry preserves, you can omit or substitute with another preferred jam.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- For best results, use a dark baking cocoa powder to enhance the chocolate flavor and color.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
