Have you ever tried using black cocoa powder before? If not, it tastes a lot like Oreo cookies when baked into treats, it has a different texture than regular cocoa (gets very clumpy), and naturally makes things almost completely black in color. That’s why it’s perfect to use in Halloween recipes like these black cocoa cupcakes! I decorated them festively with a swirl of frosting and chocolate bat wings but feel free to decorate however you wish.
The cupcakes themselves have zero black food coloring and the frosting only has a bit. For some reason in the pictures the cupcakes, frosting, and bat wings look brown and like normal chocolate but I promise in real life they look so much more black! Thanks to the black cocoa, you won’t have to use cups and cups of black food coloring in order to have dark, spooky treats! The flavor of the cupcakes are pretty much chocolate but taste more like Oreos, and using vegan butter in the frosting gives it a slight saltiness which I actually really enjoy! Sifting the black cocoa is necessary because of the strange clumpy texture so please don’t skip that step in the instructions or you’ll have random black chunks in the cupcakes and the frosting. Overall, these cupcakes are a dark, spooky, yummy, Halloween treat!
This post contains affiliate links to some of my very favorite ingredients. This way it is easy for you to find the ingredients I used at the best price I’ve found. If you click one and purchase anything from Amazon, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale, to support what I do here. Thank you!
Link to my favorite gluten-free flour blend is here.
Black cocoa powder I use is linked here.
Link to my favorite organic, flavorless coconut oil is here.
Americolor black gel food coloring linked here.
Gluten-free Black Cocoa Cupcakes (dairy & nut free)
Ingredients
- 153 grams (1 cup plus 2 tbsps) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour
- 26 grams (¼ cup) black cocoa powder (sifted) linked above this recipe card
- 1 ⅛ tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 64 grams (⅓ cup) liquid oil or melted coconut oil my favorite coconut oil is linked above
- 165 grams (¾ cup) sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature if using coconut oil
- 60 grams (¼ cup) milk of choice I used light coconut
- 67 grams (⅓ cup) boiling water
Frosting:
- 90 grams (½ cup) semisweet or dark chocolate chips dairy-free if needed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 170 grams (¾ cup/1 ½ sticks) soft unsalted regular or vegan butter I used Country Crock Olive Oil Plant Butter
- 57 grams (½ cup) black cocoa powder
- 210 grams (1 ¾ cups) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Americolor super black gel food coloring don't worry it is gluten-free (linked above this recipe card)
- 1-2 tbsps milk of choice if needed
Instructions
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C). In a medium bowl, whisk the GF flour, sifted black cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or use a stand mixer), beat the oil, sugar, and eggs together for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add half of the dry mixture and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until smooth. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. While mixing, carefully add the hot water and mix until fully combined and smooth. Fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature.
Frosting:
- While the cupcakes are baking/cooling, in a large glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave. Add the salt and mix until the chocolate is smooth. Add the butter and whip using a hand mixer until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Sift in the black cocoa powder and mix on low until combined. Add the 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix well. Add the remaining ¾ cup of powdered sugar and mix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Add in the vanilla, about 4 drops of black food coloring, and milk (as needed if the frosting is too thick) and mix very well until combined. If the frosting looks light gray add a few more drops of the coloring and mix well (it won't look black yet). Let the frosting sit while the cupcakes continue to cool so that the color can fully develop (takes 30-60 minutes).
- To make chocolate bat wings: add about ¼ cup of chocolate chips to a small glass bowl, along with a little spoon of coconut oil and melt in the microwave. Add a drop or two of black food coloring and mix well. Transfer to a small piping bag and snip the tip off of the bag. Pipe bat wings on parchment sheets and let them set until hardened or chill them in the fridge.
- After the frosting color has darkened, transfer to a piping bag fitted with your desired piping tip. Pipe swirls or what ever you want onto the completely cooled cupcakes. I stuck bat wings in the swirls to decorate. Have fun decorating however you wish and enjoy! Happy Halloween!!
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