Description
Delight in these rich and moist Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes, perfect for festive celebrations. Featuring a deeply chocolaty batter enhanced with coffee for a complex flavor and topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are both delicious and visually fun with seasonal decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup strong black coffee, hot
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with cupcake liners to get ready for baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt in the bowl of an electric mixer for a well-blended dry mix.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, hot black coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Mix batter: On low speed, mix the dry ingredients for 1 minute. Then add half the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix again on medium speed for one more minute until the batter becomes thin and smooth.
- Fill cupcake liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.
- Cool: Transfer cupcakes to wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare frosting: Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip softened butter on medium speed for 8 minutes until it becomes pale and creamy.
- Add frosting ingredients: Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or heavy cream mixing on low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed and beat for an additional 6 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and creamy.
- Decorate: Frost the cooled cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with your favorite decorating tip, such as Wilton Tip 1M, then add Halloween-themed decorations for a festive touch.
Notes
- Ensure all wet ingredients are at room temperature to avoid curdling and ensure smooth batter.
- Hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but does not make the batter hot enough to cook the eggs.
- Adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding a bit more milk or powdered sugar as needed for easier piping.
- Use room temperature butter for the frosting to get maximum fluffiness.
- Decorate cupcakes with Halloween sprinkles or edible toppers for a festive look.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
