“Black Velvet” Halloween Cupcakes

These “Black Velvet” Halloween Cupcakes are a spooky black version of the perfect red velvet cupcake, made especially for Halloween!

I. Am. So. Tired.

It’s really ridiculous. I’ve had so much on my plate lately! But so have all the other high school seniors…but they haven’t been catering the desserts for parties, running a website, doing college applications, and been baking for way too many family occasions to count. So maybe I have been doing more than them. But whatever, I like it. Baking makes me happy.

So, I know you were wondering before: “WHAT?! SHE’S CATERING PARTIES AND DIDN’T TELL US?!” Well, it doesn’t REALLY count as catering because I’m not getting paid, but I am providing food for 50 people. So, it will be a good marketing event and hopefully people will actually hire me, instead of letting my mom volunteer me to cater their events, haha! But I AM getting paid for these cupcakes. My English teacher – who I love, she’s the sweetest lady and this is my second year having her and I really couldn’t be happier to have her again – was reading my Common Application essay, which is of course about baking, and decided she wanted to buy a dessert for her Halloween dinner party from me. I tried to insist she didn’t pay me but she insisted she did. Right now they’re sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be taken to her, so I hope she likes them! I think they’re cute (;

So, for these cupcakes, I wanted to do a red velvet cupcake but make it “Halloween-friendly”. Some black and orange food coloring later and I had “black velvet” cupcakes and orange cream cheese frosting – spooky, huh?! I made them in the cutest little Betty Crocker Halloween cupcake liners (see picture below; and thank God for Betty Crocker, right? She’s a goddess) and garnished them with some black sugary sprinkles and candy corns, the ultimate Halloween indulgence.

Go make these and treat your little trick-or-treaters! :)

“Black Velvet” Halloween Cupcakes

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• Author: Rachel Conners
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
• Cuisine: dessert

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Ingredients

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For the cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 1 ounce bottle Black Food Color (or red food coloring for original red velvet)

For the frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, cold
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 
• 1/4 teaspoon orange food coloring gel

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Instructions

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in sour cream, then milk and vanilla. Mix in food coloring until you’ve reached your desired color. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low-speed until just blended. Do NOT overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

For the frosting

1. Have the cream cheese cold and the butter at room temperature. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, food coloring and vanilla just until blended. Add sugar one-third at a time and beat just until smooth and the desired consistency. If frosting is too stiff, beat for few seconds longer. Do not overbeat.
2. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Soften and stir until smooth before using.

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