These are the most elegant and delicious vegan black velvet cupcakes you’ll ever make. They’re super moist, chocolatey, and topped with a decadent black cocoa buttercream. They are so rich in color, that it makes for the perfect base for a spooky Halloween dessert. Might I add, they won’t stain your teeth either!
Ingredient notes
- Black cocoa powder - If you love Oreos, then black cocoa will be your newest favorite ingredient. Black cocoa is just cocoa powder that has been heavily alkalized (meaning the acidity has been neutralized), so it gives you a rich black color but doesn't stain! My favorite brand to use is The Cocoa Trader Black Cocoa.
- AmeriColor Super Black Gel Food Coloring - Gel food coloring will be used for the frosting. It’s also formulated so that you get a vibrant color while keeping the consistency of the buttercream. My favorite gel food coloring to use AmeriColor, they are vegan-friendly!
- Vegetable Oil - I use oil instead of butter in these cupcakes to help keep the cake super moist and delicious! You can also use canola oil.
- Vegan Buttermilk - Vegan buttermilk is easily made by using 1 cup of soy milk and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar!
Top tips for making vegan black velvet cupcakes
- Split the process in two days. Make the frosting on the first day and bake the cupcakes the next day. Why? In order for the frosting to get the deep black color, it needs to sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
- Measure your flour correctly. I test my recipes, 100% in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. There’s a risk of overmixing the batter, and this could cause tougher baked goods instead of light and tender ones. Additionally, mixing them separately allows the ingredients to be evenly dispersed before combining everything together.
- Do not overfill. This batter gives you exactly 12 cupcakes. Make sure you only fill the cupcakes ⅔rds full.
- Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before adding frosting. If you frost the cupcakes while they are still warm, the frosting will melt right off. So have patience!
What is black cocoa?
Black cocoa powder is the primary color ingredient for both the frosting and cupcakes. So what is it and what makes it different? To simply put it, black cocoa is a Dutch-process cocoa that is heavily alkalized. And because of this, it packs an intense chocolate flavor without bringing any of the bitterness. It’s got a very unique flavor and is what is used in Oreo cookies!
Frequently asked questions:
- How long will these last for? These cupcakes will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
- Where can I find black cocoa? I ordered mine here, I find that they aren’t commonly seen in grocery stores. But if you can’t find it or would rather buy it in-store, you can sub it for Dutch-processed cocoa, however, the flavor and look will be completely different.
- Why use gel food coloring? Gel food coloring is way more concentrated in color than liquid food coloring. Meaning, you don’t need to use much of it to get a vibrant color. It’s also formulated so that it won’t affect the consistency or flavor of the buttercream. My favorite gel food coloring to use AmeriColor, they are vegan-friendly!
- Do I need to make the frosting a day before? In this case, yes. At first, the color of the buttercream might look like wet concrete when you first mix it together. However, give it at least 24 hours to deepen in color, and you’ll be blown away at how much darker it gets.
- Can these be made gluten-free? I have not tested these with gluten-free flour, but if you do please let me know how it goes!
If you liked this vegan black velvet recipe, check these out:
If you’ve tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Black Velvet Cupcakes
This process will be split into two days. The frosting will be made on Day 1 and the cupcakes the next day. This is because the frosting will need time to deepen in color to get a true black. See notes for more information.
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Cupcake liners
- Cupcake pan
- Piping bag
- Large star piping tip
Pro TipIf a recipe calls for it, use a food scale to weigh ingredients in grams for the best results! Use the options below to toggle between cups or grams.
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Frosting
- 226 grams Vegan butter (softened at room temperature)
- 420 grams Powdered sugar
- 50 grams Black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Dairy-free milk (room temperature)
- ¾ teaspoon Black gel food color (optional)
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- 240 grams Dairy-free milk (lukewarm, I used soy)
- ½ teaspoon White vinegar
- 210 grams All-purpose flour (see notes for proper measurements)
- 150 grams Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 50 grams Black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
- 105 grams Vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
Instructions
Day 1 - Frosting
- On a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium speed for 2-5 minutes until creamy and light in color.
- Add powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and salt. If you want an intense black color, you can add the black gel food color as well. Turn the mixer to low until all ingredients start to come together. Then increase the speed to medium, and beat for a full two minutes. The color will look like a dark gray at first but darken as time passes.
- Place the buttercream in an airtight container and allow the color to deepen for 24 hours or more. When ready to use it, bring it to room temperature and re-whip it with your stand mixer to return it to frosting consistency.
Day 2 - Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine warm dairy-free milk, and white vinegar. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes. This is your vegan buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine vegan buttermilk, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, black cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is emulsified and then add it to the dry ingredients.
- Combine all the wet and dry ingredients until you get a thick batter.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill only ⅔rds of the way completely and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After, remove them from the pan and let them completely cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Once your cupcakes are cooled, fit a large star piping tip to a piping bag. Fill the bag with the room temperature frosting, and pipe the tops of the cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly. I test my recipes, 100% in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- If you measure by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
- Do I need to make the frosting a day before? If you haven't made black frosting before, black is one of the hardest to achieve in true color. At first, the color of the buttercream might look like wet concrete when you first mix it together. So, the trick is to give it at least 24 hours to deepen in color, and you’ll be blown away at how much darker it gets. To do this, store it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to use, bring it out to room temp, I suggest 1-2 hours, before you start frosting.
- How long will these last for? These cupcakes will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
- Where can I find black cocoa? I ordered mine here https://amzn.to/3tnNkdQ, I find that they aren’t commonly seen in grocery stores. But if you can’t find it or would rather buy it in-store, you can sub it for Dutch-processed cocoa https://amzn.to/46oieBd, however, the flavor and look will be completely different.
- Why use gel food coloring? Gel food coloring is way more concentrated in color than liquid food coloring. Meaning, you don’t need to use much of it to get a vibrant color. It’s also formulated so that it won’t affect the consistency or flavor of the buttercream. My favorite gel food coloring to use AmeriColor, they are vegan-friendly!
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @flouredframe on social!
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