These black velvet jack-o’-lantern cupcakes are just as delicious as they are spooky & adorable! Made with black cocoa powder, they have a naturally dark color, rich chocolate flavor, and the soft, velvety texture you know and love from red velvet cake. Top each one with a just-sweet-enough American buttercream, then use the upside down freeze method and a simple face stencil to turn them into the cutest little jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween!
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Why you'll love these Black Velvet Jack-O'-Lantern Cupcakes
- Soft & velvety texture: Cake flour, buttermilk, and sour cream give these cupcakes a tender crumb with that signature velvet cake tang.
- Rich black cocoa flavor: Black cocoa powder gives the cupcakes their deep black color and chocolate Oreo-like flavor without any black food coloring in the cake!
- Adorable Halloween decoration: Fluffy orange American buttercream, the upside-down freeze method, and a jack-o’-lantern stencil make this spooky design easier to recreate than it looks.
For more Halloween recipes, try my Spiderweb Black Velvet Cheesecake Cookies, White Ghost Cupcakes, Scoopable Pumpkin Patch Dirt Pudding Cake, and Mummy White Chocolate Brownies.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour: Cake flour helps create a soft, delicate crumb. Weigh it with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results!
- Black cocoa powder: The key to the cupcakes’ naturally black color and rich, Oreo-like flavor.
- Baking soda: Works with the acidic ingredients to help the cupcakes rise. Be sure to use baking soda rather than baking powder.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Adds buttery flavor and forms the base of the American buttercream. Use room temp butter for a smooth, fluffy frosting.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cupcakes and helps keep their crumb tender.
- Neutral oil: Adds moisture without competing with the chocolate flavor. Use a mild-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil.
- Eggs: Add structure and richness. Bring them to room temperature so they incorporate more easily into the batter.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and the subtle tang that makes velvet cake so delicious.
- Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream for richness, moisture, and a tender texture.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor of the cupcakes.
- White vinegar: Adds acidity and works alongside the buttermilk and sour cream in this velvet cake batter.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the American buttercream while keeping it smooth. Sift out any lumps before mixing it into the butter.
- Food coloring: Use orange gel food coloring for the pumpkin-colored frosting. Gel coloring adds concentrated color without introducing as much liquid as liquid food coloring.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this black velvet jack-o'-lantern cupcake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Make the cupcake batter
In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, and vinegar, and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the buttermilk and sour cream and mix. In a separate small bowl, add the egg whites and use an electric hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until fully combined.
Bake the cupcakes
Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, add one scoop to each parchment cup. Bake the cupcakes one pan at a time for about 18-20 minutes until the centers spring back when touched. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
Make the buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 10 minutes until fluffy and very white. Add the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time. Take about ¼ cup of the buttercream and place in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds until melted, then pour back into the buttercream. Continue mixing on low speed until smooth.
Color the reserved buttercream black
Remove about 1 cup of buttercream and place in a separate bowl. Mix in a few drops of black food gel. Set aside. Mix in several drops of orange food gel to the remaining buttercream. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star piping tip.
Pipe the orange buttercream
Pipe the orange buttercream onto each cupcake.
Press upside down & freeze
Gently press each cupcake upside down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Use a stencil to create a jack-o'-lantern face
Gently peel the cupcakes off of the parchment paper. Place your parchment stencil on top of one cupcake. Using a small offset spatula, spread an even layer of black buttercream, then gently peel back the stencil. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream incorporate more easily, while properly softened butter helps create a smooth buttercream.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely. Even slightly warm cupcakes can soften the frosting and make the upside down method messy. Give them plenty of time to cool before piping!
- Whip the butter for a full 10 minutes. To get a really white, fluffy buttercream, be sure to beat the butter on medium speed for a full 10 minutes.
- Use a stencil for the jack-o'-lantern face. I had ChatGPT create an outline for me that I traced on parchment paper.
Recipe FAQs
Black velvet cupcakes are a variation of red velvet cupcakes made with black cocoa powder. They have the same soft texture and subtle tang, with a naturally dark color and a more pronounced chocolate flavor.
Black cocoa powder has a distinctive chocolate cookie-like flavor that’s reminiscent of Oreos! It also gives these cupcakes their deep black color without adding black food coloring to the batter.
No! The jack-o’-lantern design comes from the orange buttercream and little faces. The cupcakes themselves are chocolate flavored, with a subtle tang from the buttermilk, sour cream, and vinegar.
Yes, chilling the frosting is an important part of this decorating method. Firm buttercream releases more cleanly from the parchment and provides a sturdy surface for the stencil. If it’s still sticking or smearing, give it more time in the freezer.
Yes! You can pipe simple triangle eyes and a little smile onto the flat frosting using a piping bag with a small opening. Or skip the faces and enjoy the contrast of the orange frosting and black cupcakes with a few Halloween sprinkles!
Yes! Bake the cupcakes a day ahead, let them cool completely, and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate. You can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for longer storage, then thaw them while covered before adding the buttercream.
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other Halloween recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Black Velvet Jack-O’-Lantern Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the black velvet cupcakes:
- 240 g (2 cups) cake flour
- 50 g (½ cup + 1.5 tbsp) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 270 g (1 ⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup) neutral oil
- 2 eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 113 g (½ cup) buttermilk, room temp
- 113 g (½ cup) sour cream, room temp
For the American buttercream:
- 454 g (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
- 454 g (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- Orange food gel
- Black food gel
Instructions
For the black velvet cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two cupcake pans with parchment cups.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, and vinegar, and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add the buttermilk and sour cream and mix.
- In a separate small bowl, add the egg whites and use an electric hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until fully combined.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, add one scoop to each parchment cup.
- Bake the cupcakes one pan at a time for about 18-20 minutes until the centers spring back when touched.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
For the American buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the room temp unsalted butter. Beat on medium speed for about 10 minutes until fluffy and very white.
- While mixing on low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added and well combined, take about ¼ cup of the buttercream and place in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds until melted, then pour back into the buttercream. Continue mixing on low speed until smooth.
- Remove about 1 cup of buttercream and place in a separate bowl. Mix in a few drops of black food gel. Set aside.
- Mix in several drops of orange food gel to the remaining buttercream. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star piping tip.
For decorating:
- Pipe the orange buttercream onto each cupcake.
- Gently press each cupcake upside down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Gently peel the cupcakes off of the parchment paper.
- Place your parchment stencil on top of one cupcake. Using a small offset spatula, spread an even layer of black buttercream, then gently peel back the stencil. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream incorporate more easily, while properly softened butter helps create a smooth buttercream.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely. Even slightly warm cupcakes can soften the frosting and make the upside down method messy. Give them plenty of time to cool before piping!
- Whip the butter for a full 10 minutes. To get a really white, fluffy buttercream, be sure to beat the butter on medium speed for a full 10 minutes.
- Use a stencil for the jack-o'-lantern face. I had ChatGPT create an outline for me that I traced on parchment paper.
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