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    Home - Cupcakes

    Published: Sep 29, 2017 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Black Velvet Cupcakes with Raspberry Jam

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Celebrate Halloween with these moist black velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and raspberry jam.

    Halloween couldn't get spookier than with these black velvet cupcakes with drizzles of raspberry jam "blood"

    It's the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeaaaaar! And no, it's not Christmas (obv). It's the dawn of Halloween aka the best holiday ever.

    I don't know what it is about Halloween, but I adore all the pumpkins and costumes and hot apple cider. Plus Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. It's so much fun!

    To celebrate, I've made some really amazing black velvet cupcakes I need to share asap.

    Black velvet cupcakes with raspberry jam. Nothing beats it for Halloween

    I've been trying to come up with something good for Halloween for a few weeks now, and I am so happy that these black velvet cupcakes came out of it.

    It's a delicious and simple dessert to make, but makes a seriously spooky impact while remaining relatively kid-friendly. My daughter's favorite part is adding her own bloody drizzle and pretending she is a vampire baker.

    Celebrate the fun of Halloween with these incredible black velvet cupcakes with raspberry jam blood

    To make these black velvet cupcakes, I just used my favorite red velvet cupcake recipe and swapped it out for black gel food coloring. I am not the biggest fan of food coloring, but I always make an exception for Halloween.

    My favorite brand if Americolor because you can get a really vibrant color without using a lot of the gel which is perfect for getting a true black color instead of something more dark grey.

    I also used a touch of red in the raspberry jam to make the color really pop and look bloody. Again, you don't need anything more than a drop to get this color.

    Since these black velvet cupcakes are, well, black, it also means I can up the cocoa a little more which I love. I always find that red velvet cupcakes usually never have enough cocoa in them.

    Nothing beats black velvet cupcakes with raspberry jam for Halloween

    How to Store Your Black Velvet Cupcakes

    Keep your cupcakes in an airtight container for up to three days. For the best results, keep them in the refrigerator or any cool, dry area. 

    You can freeze un-frosted black velvet cupcakes in an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 

    So what are your plans for Halloween? Are you dressing up? Having a party or trick or treating? If you are looking for more spooky recipes, try these Mexican chocolate cupcakes, spiderweb cupcakes, and bloody white cake!

    Nothing beats black velvet cupcakes with raspberry jam for Halloween

    Black Velvet Cupcakes

    Amanda Powell
    Deliciously spooky black velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and "bloody" raspberry jam
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 18 mins
    Total Time 48 mins
    Course cupcakes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 390 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ¼ cupa all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
    • ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
    • ¾ cups granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon black food color (may need more depending on the brand.
    • ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
    • 1 ½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
    • ¾ teaspoons baking soda
    • ½ cup raspberry jam
    • 1 drop red food coloring
    • 2 tablespoons water

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
    • 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt together. Set aside.
    • In a stand mixer, beat together the butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy.
    • Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each egg.
    • Beat in the vanilla and the black food color. Add more black food color as needed. The mixture should look mostly very dark grey. The color will deepen and intensify during baking.
    • Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Add another ⅓ of the flour, then the remaining buttermilk followed by the last ⅓ of the flour. Mix until just combined.
    • Quickly, but carefully, mix together the vinegar and baking soda. The mixture will bubble up a lot.
    • Pour the baking soda mixture into your batter and stir in well for 10 seconds.
    • Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners.
    • Bake the cupcakes for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it when inserted in the middle.
    • Let the cupcakes rest in the tin for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    • Cut out a hole in the middle of the cupcakes using a sharp knife. Fill in the cupcakes with raspberry jam, you should still have plenty leftover.
    • Beat the butter and cream cheese for the frosting and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. You can add a tablespoon of heavy cream if your frosting seems too thick.
    • Pipe the frosting over the cupcakes.
    • Mix the remaining raspberry jam with a drop of red food coloring and a tablespoon of water. Drizzle over the cupcakes.

    Notes

    Store in an airtight container

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 272mgFiber: 1gSugar: 56g
    Keyword black velvet, cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, halloween, red velvet
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aaniyah says

      November 14, 2019 at 10:50 am

      Hi,
      Can I use something else instead of the buttermilk (I wasn’t able to find any at my grocery). Also, can I use regular white vinegar? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Amanda Powell says

        November 14, 2019 at 10:52 am

        Regular vinegar should work, and if you have it available, you can make your own buttermilk by adding a couple of drops to milk and letting it sit for about 5 minutes!

        Reply
        • Aaniyah says

          November 14, 2019 at 12:41 pm

          Diy buttermilk: vinegar + milk and I let it sit for 5 min?

        • Amanda Powell says

          November 14, 2019 at 12:52 pm

          Yes! It’ll start looking curdled, but that’s how it should look. You can also use plain yogurt (not Greek) thinned out with just a touch of milk

        • Aaniyah says

          November 14, 2019 at 8:47 pm

          Perfect, thanks a lot! 😉

    2. Amelia says

      October 06, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      Hi!

      Just want to know how many cupcakes the batter will make.

      Thanks for this recipe! Excited to see how they come out.

      Reply
      • Amanda Powell says

        October 06, 2019 at 11:34 pm

        A dozen!! I hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      October 17, 2017 at 7:35 am

      These cupcakes are so much fun!! Love how amazing they came out. Can't wait to see all the Halloween treats you have in store for us this year!

      Reply
    4. Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says

      October 08, 2017 at 12:34 pm

      LOOOVE this recipe! So perfect for Halloween but I bet these are amazing anytime!

      Reply
    5. Liz says

      September 30, 2017 at 7:01 am

      These are spectacular! I'll add them to my Halloween Project Post! xo

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

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