Enjoy these vampire-inspired Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes and find a delightful "blood-red" surprise concealed within. These rich chocolate cupcakes with their vibrant crimson filling are the ultimate Halloween treat, sure to satisfy even Count Dracula himself.
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These black velvet cupcakes are made using far less food dye than you may have thought. They also pack a wonderful flavor in every bite. From the rich chocolate cupcakes to the creamy filling in the middle, you're sure to love sinking your teeth into these Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes!
Without the coloration, these are just your normal run-of-the-mill chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling, but with the colors added, we get some gothic cupcakes that are almost too pretty to eat.
Serve up these halloween filled cupcakes with some Frozen Whipped Zombie Brains, and you'll have a vampire vs. zombie experience like no other.
For more Halloween fun, be sure to check out our Halloween Dirt Cups and Cinnamon Roll Intestines.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's rich and chocolatey. Most of the black color in this recipe comes from chocolate- not food coloring. This means we get a rich treat without the color-stained teeth.
- It's festive. These Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes are perfect for Halloween parties or gothic weddings, haha. With the fun black and red color scheme, there are plenty of fun opportunities to show them off.
- They're easy to make. From the cupcakes to the filling and the buttercream on top, this recipe is full of simple and easy-to-do steps that anyone can enjoy. We love easy cupcakes like these and our Dinosaur Cupcakes, Nacho Cupcakes, and Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting.
🛒 Ingredients
Black Dutch Cocoa: Provides deep black color and rich chocolate flavor for both the cupcakes and buttercream without relying heavily on food coloring.
Buttermilk + Vinegar: Add acidity for a soft, tender crumb and help activate the leavening. If you still have buttermilk on hand, use it up in our delicious (Copycat) Denny's Pancake Recipe.
Leavening Agents (Baking Powder & Baking Soda): Work together to give the cupcakes proper lift and prevent a dense texture.
Cream Cheese: Creates the thick, creamy, cheesecake-style red filling.
Food Coloring (Black & Red): Enhances the dramatic black cupcakes and bold red center with minimal coloring needed.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Buy black cocoa in bulk. Black Dutch cocoa has a higher upfront cost, but a single bag can be used across multiple recipes like cookies, cakes, and frosting, making the cost per recipe much lower over time.
Use store-brand baking basics. Butter, powdered sugar, flour, and food coloring are significantly cheaper when purchased as store brands and work just as well for baking and decorating.
Skip specialty decorations. The cupcakes are striking on their own, so themed sprinkles are optional and can be skipped to keep costs down.
🥄 Instructions for Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes
Black Buttercream
Step 1: Add butter and vanilla to a large mixing bowl (Image 1).
Step 2: Cream until fluffy (Image 2).
Step 3: Add cocoa powder (Image 3).
Step 4: Mix until smooth (Image 4).
Step 5: Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time (Image 5).
Step 6: Mix until thick and blended (Image 6).
Step 7: Add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency forms.
Step 8: Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Red Filling
Step 9: Add cream cheese and melted butter to a bowl (Image 7).
Step 10: Mix until smooth (Image 8).
Step 11: Add vanilla and egg (Image 9).
Step 12: Mix until combined (Image 10).
Step 13: Add red food coloring (Image 11).
Step 14: Mix well (Image 12).
Step 15: Add powdered sugar (Image 13).
Step 16: Mix until smooth (Image 14). Add more food coloring if desired.
Step 17: Cover and set aside until ready to use.
Cupcake Batter
Step 18: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with liners.
Step 19: Add butter, sugar, black food coloring, and vanilla to a bowl (Image 15).
Step 20: Cream until fluffy (Image 16).
Step 21: Beat in eggs, one at a time (Images 17 & 18).
Step 22: Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl (Image 19).
Step 23: Whisk until blended (Image 20).
Step 24: Stir vinegar into the buttermilk.
Step 25: Alternate adding ⅓ flour mixture and ⅓ buttermilk, mixing between additions (Images 21 & 22).
Step 26: Add half of the remaining flour and mix.
Step 27: Add remaining buttermilk and mix.
Step 28: Add remaining flour and mix until smooth.
Assembly and Bake
Step 29: Add 1 tablespoon of batter to each muffin cup, spreading evenly (Image 23).
Step 30: Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of red filling into the center (Image 24).
Step 31: Top with more batter, filling cups ⅔ full (Image 25).
Step 32: Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (Image 26).
Step 33: Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Step 34: Frost with black buttercream and add themed sprinkles if desired.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Using Black Dutch Cocoa - I used Black Dutch Cocoa ordered from Amazon. It tastes like regular cocoa but creates a deep black color. It's a bit pricey, but a one-pound bag lasts a long time.
- Adjusting Food Coloring - You can reduce or even skip the black food coloring and still get a dark cupcake. I added extra for the boldest color while still using far less than most black cupcake recipes.
- Spooky Appearance - These Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes bake up jet black with a dramatic red center, making them a guaranteed Halloween party showstopper.
❄️ Storage
Storage: Store Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days due to the cream cheese filling. They can sit at room temperature for a few hours when serving, but refrigerate afterward for food safety.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Spread the spooky spirit and fun with some of these tasty Halloween treats! They'll look great next to these Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes on a dessert tray!
- Frozen Whipped Zombie BrainsRecipe $4.26 / Serving $1.07
- Peanut Butter Butterfinger CookiesRecipe $3.74 / Serving $0.31
- Halloween Dirt CupsRecipe $5.33 / Serving $0.89
- Cinnamon Roll IntestinesRecipe $4.52 / Serving $0.57
❓ Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes FAQs
Yes, you can use your regular baking cocoa instead of the specially bought Dutch cocoa powder, but remember that the color will be brown and not black. You can adjust this by adding in black food coloring but be prepared to use a lot of it (at least a few tablespoons in the batter and the frosting).
Yes, these cupcakes freeze very well either before or after they've been frosted. Simply place them in a large airtight container where they can be in a single layer and freeze. They'll last for up to 3 months before needing to be thawed and eaten.
It tastes almost exactly like regular baking cocoa, except maybe a little richer in flavor. If you close your eyes and take a bite of these cupcakes, you may not even notice a taste difference.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Milk Dud CookiesRecipe $4.09 / Serving $0.11
- Spider SandwichesRecipe $0.94 / Serving $0.47
- Cookie Monster CookiesRecipe $6.47 / Serving $1.08
- Peanut Butter Butterfinger CookiesRecipe $3.74 / Serving $0.31
🐝 If you tried these Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes
Equipment
- Festive Sprinkles
Ingredients
Black Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened - ($1.98)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract - ($0.06)
- ¾ cup black Dutch cocoa powder - ($3.47)
- 4 cups powdered sugar - ($1.44)
- 1-3 tablespoons milk - ($0.03)
Red Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened - ($1.86)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted - ($0.50)
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract - ($0.01)
- 1 large egg - ($0.15)
- 1-2 teaspoons red food coloring - ($0.02)
- 1 cup powdered sugar - ($0.36)
Black Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened - ($0.99)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar - ($0.54)
- 1 tablespoons black food coloring - ($0.06)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract - ($0.06)
- 2 Large eggs - ($0.30)
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour - ($0.33)
- ¼ cup black Dutch cocoa powder - ($1.12)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder - ($0.02)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda - ($0.01)
- 2 tablespoons vinegar - ($0.08)
- 1 cup buttermilk - ($0.73)
Instructions
- Make black buttercream. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add the black cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make red filling. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and melted butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until incorporated. Add 1 teaspoon of red food coloring and the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add additional food coloring if a deeper red is desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, black food coloring, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Combine batter. Stir the vinegar into the buttermilk. Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, followed by one-third of the buttermilk. Continue alternating, ending with the dry ingredients, and mix until fully combined.
- Fill cupcakes. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup and spread to cover the bottom. Add a heaping teaspoon of red filling to the center, then top with more batter until liners are about two-thirds full.
- Bake. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake portion comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost and serve. Frost cooled cupcakes with the black buttercream and decorate with themed sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- Cocoa substitution. Regular cocoa powder can be used, but the cupcakes will be dark brown instead of black.
- Black color. Achieving a true black color requires a generous amount of black food coloring in both the batter and frosting.
- Storage. Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days due to the cream cheese filling.
- Freezing. Freeze unfrosted or fully assembled cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- Food safety. Cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours when serving, but should otherwise be refrigerated.
Nutritional Information
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