Moist, rich, and super chocolatey black cocoa cupcakes – perfectly delicious and spooky for Halloween.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. This post is sponsored by Papanicholas Coffee. All opinions are my own.
small batch black cocoa cupcakes
If you’re looking for a halloween spin on a chocolate cupcake, you’ve come to the right place! These chocolate cupcakes are so moist and chocolate-y and honestly taste like a dark chocolate brownie in cupcake form. They are also paired with a velvety black cocoa buttercream and topped off with candy eye sprinkles which honestly make everything adorably spooky!
papanicholas coffee
I partnered once again with my all-time favorite coffee brand: papanicholas coffee, to bring you these delicious black cocoa cupcakes today. I seriously use their coffee beans every day! In this recipe I used their french vanilla beans to amp up the flavor in the cupcakes. It adds such delicious vanilla undertones to compliment the rich chocolate flavor! I definitely highly recommend trying some of their coffee, they have so many delicious flavors and are always the coffee I use in my recipes. You can find their website by clicking here.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
How to make your chocolate cupcakes more chocolatey:
The secret to getting more chocolate flavor into your chocolate cake? Bloom your cocoa powder! Blooming your cocoa powder just means that you’re mixing the cocoa with a hot liquid. Here we’re using hot espresso to both bloom the cocoa and add moisture into the cake. Adding in the hot espresso releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. It’s truly such a simple way to add more chocolate flavor into your bakes, and makes it easier for the cocoa to incorporate into the batter.
Be careful when mixing the cupcake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cupcakes go from light and moist to dense and chewy. When you’re mixing in the dry ingredients, be sure that you only mix *just until* that last streak of flour disappears into the batter.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cupcakes while they bake:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. I’d recommend that you start checking on the cake around 15 minutes.
what is black cocoa powder?
Black cocoa powder is essentially dutch process cocoa powder that is further alkalized. Doing so gives the cocoa a deeper, richer chocolatey flavor. It also turns the cocoa powder black – which is super perfect for all your spooky Halloween cupcake baking desires! Here is the black cocoa powder that I use and love. Black cocoa powder is also a great way to
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for black cocoa cupcakes:
Black cocoa cupcakes:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cupcakes
- Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness
- Black cocoa powder: gives the cupcakes a deep, rich chocolate flavor and turns them black in color!
- Espresso: a shot of hot espresso poured over the cocoa helps bring out that ultra chocolatey flavor. You can use freshly brewed espresso from a machine or instant espresso mixed with the appropriate amount of hot water. Hot coffee will also work well here too. If you are avoiding espresso or coffee, you can just use hot water in it’s place!
- Vegetable oil: tenderizes the cupcakes. Any neutral oil, such as canola, will also work here.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens the cupcakes and helps lock in the moisture.
- Egg: contributes moisture to the cupcakes and helps bind the batter together
- Sour cream: tenderizes and adds moisture to the cupcakes. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
Black cocoa buttercream:
- Unsalted butter: the base of the buttercream. Feel free to use salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt if using!
- Salt: helps balance and bring out the sweetness of the buttercream
- Powdered sugar: sweetens and thickens up the buttercream. If you are looking for more of a melt-in-your-mouth texture, use organic powdered sugar!
- Black cocoa powder: gives the buttercream a deep, rich chocolate flavor and turns it black in color!
- Heavy cream: helps thin out the frosting to a pipeable consistency. Milk will also work well here!
- Candy eye sprinkles: perfect for all-things Halloween!
how to make black cocoa cupcakes
Here’s a little look into making these black cocoa halloween cupcakes. The full recipe can be found at the end of this blog post!
- Whisk the wet ingredients together.
- Then fold in the dry ingredients.
- Distribute the batter between six parchment liners.
- Make the black cocoa buttercream, frost the cupcakes, and enjoy!
black cocoa cupcakes recipe q&a
do I need to use espresso in these cupcakes?
I highly recommend using espresso in these cupcakes (especially papanicholas!) If for any reason you don’t want to or can’t use espresso in these cupcakes, that is perfectly fine! Simply replace the hot espresso with an equal amount of hot water or hot milk.
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Obviously they will not be small batch anymore but small batch isn’t always what we need! Simply double all of the ingredients in the recipe to make 12 delicious cupcakes. I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Definitely! I would recommend making the cupcakes no more than two days ahead of time. Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. I’d recommend waiting to make the buttercream until the day you want to serve them.
how to store the cupcakes
Like most baked goods, these cupcakes will definitely taste the best on the day that they are baked. You can store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
can I turn this into a cake?
Definitely! Bake the cake in a 6″ cake pan. Just note that it will take a bit longer to bake because it will be bigger and thicker than the cupcakes.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
- 32 g black cocoa powder (⅓ c.)
- 60 g Papanicholas French Vanilla Espresso (2 oz.)
- 75 g vegetable oil (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 90 g sour cream room temperature (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Black Cocoa Buttercream
- 141 g unsalted butter room temperature (10 tbsp.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 250 g powdered sugar (2 c.)
- 30 g black cocoa powder (¼ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 40 g heavy whipping cream (3 tbsp.)
- ~¼ c. candy eye sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a muffin tin with 6 parchment liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the black cocoa powder and hot espresso until no lumps remain.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, sour cream, and cocoa-espresso mixture. Whisk the mixture together until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Distribute the cupcake batter evenly between the six liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Black Cocoa Buttercream
- In a small bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter and salt for 1 minute.
- Slowly beat in all of the powdered sugar until combined.
- Add in the cocoa powder and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. If you'd like a deeper black color on the buttercream, add in a bit of black food coloring.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your tip of choice. Frost the cupcakes, top with halloween candy eye sprinkles, serve, and enjoy!
This looks like a great recipe and I’m excited to try it. I’m just curious about one thing. The Ingredients section for the Black Cocoa Cupcakes calls for 75 grams of vegetable oil and in parentheses it says that equals ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. Later it calls for 90 grams of sour cream and in parentheses it again says ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. I think the second conversion is correct (90g is about equal to ¼ cup + 2 tbsp) which makes me think the measurement for the vegetable oil is incorrect. But I’m not sure if it should be 75 grams, or 90 grams (which would be about equal to ¼ cup + 2 tbsp). I’m hoping you can clarify. Thanks!
Hi! Both measurements are correct. 1 c. of vegetable oil weighs about 200g and 1 c. of sour cream weighs about 225g which is why the 75g and 90g convert out to the same cup measurement. 🙂
Just made these, my first time using black cocoa. They turned out perfect! Probably my new favorite cupcake recipe.
Ah thank you so much, what an honor! So happy you liked them 🙂