Small Batch Black Cocoa Cupcakes

Yield: 6 black cocoa cupcakes // Total Time: 40 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.

This post is sponsored by Papanicholas. All opinions are my own.

These small batch black cocoa cupcakes cupcakes are super easy to make, don’t require a mixer, are ridiculously chocolate-y and perfect for Halloween!

Small Batch Black Cocoa Cupcakes

These small batch black cocoa cupcakes are a great (& delicious!) way to celebrate Halloween! These chocolate cupcakes are so moist and chocolate-y and honestly taste like a dark chocolate brownie in cupcake form. If that’s not enough, they are also paired with a velvety black cocoa buttercream and topped off with candy eye sprinkles which honestly make everything adorably spooky!

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 baking desires! Here is the black cocoa powder that I use and love. Black cocoa powder is also a great way to

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.

Small batch black cocoa cupcakes recipe tips

Weigh your ingredients

Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!

Make your chocolate more chocolatey

Did you know there’s a way to get even more chocolate flavor out of your cocoa powder? This little trick is my favorite way to add more flavor to my chocolate recipes! The trick is to “bloom” your cocoa. Blooming the cocoa means you mix it with a hot liquid and let it sit before adding it to your baked goods. Doing so releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. If you want to know more about cocoa powder and the different types available, you can read my blog post all about it here.

Mix the batter carefully

It is super important to not overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing the batter leads to more gluten development which will make the cupcakes super tough and chewy. Only mix just until the last bit of flour is incorporated.

Room temperature ingredients

It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the egg, sour cream, and butter at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe OR follow these methods for room temperature ingredients FAST:

1. Fast room temperature eggs. Place the egg in a bowl in the sink and continuously run hot water over it for one minute. And there you go – one room temperature egg! Alternatively (and less waste-fully) fill a bowl with warm water and let the egg sit in it for 5 minutes.
2. Fast room temperature sour cream. Microwave the buttermilk in 5 second intervals until it is no longer cold (but not hot!). And there you go – fast and easy room temperature buttermilk!
3. Fast room temperature butter. Slice the butter into 1 tbsp. slices and place them flat on a plate. Microwave in 5 second intervals, until you can easily push into the butter.

Keep an eye on those cupcakes!

Cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. Start checking at 15 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out wet, check them again in 2 minutes and so on until only a few moist crumbs stick to the toothpick.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the 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.

For the 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 small batch black cocoa cupcakes

1. Bloom the cocoa. In a small bowl, whisk together the black cocoa powder and hot espresso, coffee, or water.

2. Whisk the wet ingredients. To a medium sized bowl, add the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, sour cream, and cocoa-espresso mixture. Whisk the mixture together until well combined and smooth.

3. Add the dry ingredients. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and lightly whisk the ingredients together *just* until no flour streaks remain, being careful to not overmix!

4. Bake. Distribute the batter evenly between 6 parchment liners, then bake the cupcakes at 350°F / 175°C until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean. 

5. Make the buttercream. Start by beating together the the softened butter and salt for 1 minute, then slowly beat in the powdered sugar until all of it has been incorporated. Add in the black cocoa powder and heavy cream and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.

6. Frost and decorate. Frost each cupcake however you desire, then top it with candy eye sprinkles!

7. Enjoy! Serve your cupcakes and enjoy!

Small batch chocolate cupcakes 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.

Can I double these small batch black cocoa cupcakes?

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. Store the chocolate buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to frost, simply remove the buttercream for the fridge and let it sit at room temperature until it becomes soft. Whip it up for a few minutes, then transfer it to a piping bag and you’re good to go!

How to store small batch black cocoa cupcakes

Like most baked goods, these black cocoa 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 3 days.

Why do you measure in grams?

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, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!

A note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. 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.

Tools and Ingredients

Muffin pan: I absolutely love USA pan products because of their great quality. This is their muffin pan.

Cookie scoops: I have gone through a lot of cookie scoops in my baking journey, and these ones have lasted me the longest without breaking. Plus they are dishwasher safe! I love using cookie scoops to get an even amount of batter in to each muffin tin.

Kitchen scale: This is the kitchen scale I use every time I bake, I love it!

Black cocoa powder: for a deep, rich chocolate flavor and to turn the cupcakes and buttercream black without using food dye! Here is the black cocoa powder that I use and love.

For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.

Small Batch Black Cocoa Cupcakes

Print Recipe

Ultra-chocolatey & moist small batch black cocoa cupcakes, perfect for Halloween!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword black cocoa, chocolate, cupcakes, hallowen, small batch

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 6 cupcakes

Ingredients

Black Cocoa Cupcakes

• 30 g black cocoa powder (¼ c. + 1 tbsp.)
• 45 g Papanicholas French Vanilla Espresso (1 ½ oz.)
• 75 g vegetable oil (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
• 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
• 1 egg room temperature
• 75 g sour cream room temperature (¼ c. + 1 tbsp.)
• 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ⅛ tsp. salt

Black Cocoa Buttercream

• 70 g unsalted butter room temperature (5 tbsp.)
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 120 g powdered sugar (1 c.)
• 2 tbsp. black cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• ~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 the buttercream seems too thick, add in ~½ tbsp. heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached.
• 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!