Black Frosted Halloween Cupcakes
These Black Frosted Halloween Cupcakes start with a chocolate cake mix and are topped with rich black buttercream and festive Halloween sprinkles. Easy to make and perfect for parties, these cupcakes are spooky, sweet, and totally fun to decorate!
Equipment
- 1 piping bag optional
- 1 star-shaped piping tip optional
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- eggs however many your cake mix calls for
- oil however much your cake mix calls for
- coffee Replace the amount of water your cake mix calls for with coffee (it's usually 1 cup)
For the Black Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Black gel food coloring
For Decorating
- Halloween-themed sprinkles
Instructions
Bake Cupcakes
- Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the instructions on the box (except replace the water with cooled coffee).
- Line a cupcake tin with festive liners, fill each one about 2/3 full with batter, and bake according to package directions (usually 18–22 minutes at 350°F).
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting — this is key for keeping the buttercream smooth and neat!
Make the Black Buttercream
- Beat the softened butter until light and creamy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low and then increasing to high once it starts to come together.
- Add in the milk or cream and vanilla extract until a smooth, pipe-able frosting forms
- To make the frosting black, start by adding a few drops of black gel food coloring and mix well. Let the frosting sit for 5–10 minutes — the color will deepen as it rests. If needed, add more gel coloring until you reach your desired shade.
Frost and Decorate Cupcakes
- Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip) or simply spread it on with a butter knife or offset spatula. Add a generous swirl of frosting on each cupcake.
- Then sprinkle on your Halloween-themed sprinkles while the frosting is still soft. You can get as creative as you like — think googly candy eyes, purple and orange jimmies, or mini candy bones!
Notes
*A note about quantity: Most box mixes claim to make 24 cupcakes, but I usually get between 18 and 20 cupcakes. Depending on how generous you are with your frosting, you might have more cupcakes than you do frosting. I usually get between 16 and 18 generously-frosted cupcakes total with one batch of frosting.