Take a bite out of these vampire-themed cupcakes and enjoy a wonderful "bloody" surprise inside. The bright red-colored filling and the rich black chocolate cupcakes are a treat that's perfect for Halloween. -Dracula approved.
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.
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 cupcakes with some Frozen Whipped Zombie Brains, and you'll have a vampire vs. zombie experience like no other!
Why This Recipe Works
- 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 and indulgent treat without the color-stained teeth.
- It's festive. These 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.
🥘 Ingredients
For the Cupcakes, You Will Need:
Butter- You will need some butter to make the cupcakes rich in taste.
Granulated Sugar- Adding in sugar will help to make the cupcakes tender and sweeter.
Eggs- Use eggs as the binder to hold them together well.
Black Dutch Cocoa- This is what gives us a rich chocolate taste as well as black color.
Black Food Coloring- We only need a little bit of black food coloring because the cocoa powder does most of the work.
Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.
Buttermilk- This will make our batter the perfect consistency and help the cupcakes to taste more like a "velvet cake."
All-Purpose Flour- Use flour for the gluten structure in the cupcakes.
Leavening agents- You will need baking powder and baking soda to help the cupcakes rise as they bake.
White Vinegar- Use some white vinegar to add some acidity to the cake and get a perfect consistency.
For the Red Filling, You Will Need:
Cream Cheese- The rich and creamy base needed for the filling (this will make it taste like cheesecake).
Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.
Butter- For added richness.
Egg- Use an egg to help get the right consistency.
Powdered Sugar- This makes the filling smooth and sweet.
Red Food Coloring- I prefer gel food coloring because it's more vibrant, but you could use liquid food coloring if that is what you have on hand.
For the Black Buttercream, You Will Need:
Butter- This is the rich and creamy base of the frosting recipe.
Powdered Sugar- To make the frosting smooth and sweet.
Black Dutch Cocoa- Use this to make the frosting black without the need to add food coloring.
Milk- Add just enough milk to get the frosting to the right consistency for piping.
Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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- Electric Mixer
- Muffin Pan
- Cupcake Liners
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Festive Sprinkles (*non-affiliate link to actual sprinkle mix I bought from Sprinkles Joy)
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make bloody vampire bite cupcakes with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Start by making the black buttercream
Cream together the butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.
Add in your cocoa powder and then mix again until smooth.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until thick and blended.
Add in your milk, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition until a good consistency. You may not need all of the milk.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the gooey red filling next
Blend together the cream cheese and melted butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Add in the vanilla and egg and mix again.
Add in one teaspoon of red food coloring. Mix again.
Add in one cup of powdered sugar and mix again until combined.
If desired, add in a little more red food coloring.
Cover the bowl and set it aside until ready to use.
Make the cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, black food coloring, and vanilla until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time until smooth.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl until blended.
Add your vinegar to the buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup.
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add in ⅓ of the buttermilk and mix again.
Add in half of the remaining flour. Mix and then add in the last of the buttermilk and mix again.
Lastly, add in the remaining flour and mix again until no flour streaks remain.
Assembly
Spoon a tablespoon of black cupcake batter into the bottom of each muffin cup and spread it out to touch the sides and cover the bottom well.
Add one heaping teaspoon of red filling into the center of the batter.
Top with another large spoonful of black batter to cover the red and fill the muffins ⅔s of the way full.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and it comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Top your cupcakes with black frosting and add themed sprinkles if desired.
🍴 Recipe Tips
These cool Halloween cupcakes are made using Black Dutch Cocoa (I ordered mine off of Amazon). It tastes just like a regular cocoa powder but looks pitch black and can really make baked goods look...interesting.. While the price is a bit more than I'd like (almost $15 a pound at the time of purchase) one pound can certainly last a while.
You may be able to omit or reduce the added black food coloring in the chocolate cupcakes and still get a great color. I added the extra food dye just because I really wanted to make sure these cupcakes were as dark as night.
Compared to some other black cupcake recipes I found online where they wanted 6 tablespoons of food coloring to achieve this dark hue, I'm still happy we could reduce it and still get this fabulous dark color.
These bloody Halloween cupcakes are as black as the asphalt on a freshly paved road and are sure to make a great treat to serve at your Halloween party this year.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Keep these cupcakes stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days. They can last for up to a few hours at room temperature on the day that they were made or being served, but the cream cheese filling is why we must keep them stored in the fridge- for food safety reasons.
💭 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 Awesome Halloween Recipes To Try
- 2 Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Intestines
- Peanut Butter Jelly Spider Sandwiches
- Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats
- Chocolate Halloween M&M Cake Mix Cookies
- Zombie Milkshake
- Halloween Mummy Dogs
📖 Recipe
Bloody Vampire Bite Cupcakes
Equipment
- Festive Sprinkles
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ Cup Butter, Softened ($0.75)
- 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar ($0.33)
- 2 Large Eggs ($0.16)
- ¼ Cup Black Dutch Cocoa ($0.36)
- 1 tablespoon Black Food Coloring ($0.06)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.04)
- 1 Cup Buttermilk ($0.59)
- 2 ⅓ Cups All-Purpose Flour ($0.23)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda ($0.01)
- 2 tablespoon White Vinegar ($0.08)
Red Filling:
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened ($1.98)
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.01)
- ¼ cup Butter, melted ($0.38)
- 1 Large Egg ($0.08)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar ($0.23)
- 1-2 teaspoon Red Food Coloring ($0.02)
Black Buttercream:
- 1 cup Butter, softened ($1.50)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar ($0.92)
- ¾ cup Black Dutch Cocoa ($1.08)
- 1-3 tablespoon Milk ($0.01)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.04)
Instructions
Start by making the black buttercream
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and vanilla until fluffy.
- Add in the black cocoa powder and mix again until smooth.
- Slowly add in the powderd sugar, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition.
- Add in milk a little at a time (start with 1 tablespoon and then add in 1 teaspoon's worth at a time) until you get your desired consistency.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the gooey red filling next.
- In a mixing bowl blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated.
- Add in a teaspoon of red food coloring.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix.
- If desired, add up to a teaspoon more of red food coloring for a darker color.
- Cover the bowl of filling and set in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Cream your butter, sugar, black food coloring, and vanilla together until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time until smooth.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda until blended.
- Add the vinegar to the buttermilk.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and then add in ⅓ of the buttermilk.
- Add in half of the remaining flour followed by the last of the milk and finally the last of the flour mixture. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the muffin cups and spread them out along the bottom to cover it well.
- Add one heaping teaspoon of the red filing into the center of the cupcakes and then top with another spoonful or so of batter. You want the red nicely covered and the muffin liners filled about ⅔ of the way.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, add the frosting on top and sprinkle with Vampire themed sprinkles, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Storage
- 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.
- Keep these cupcakes stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days. They can last for up to a few hours at room temperature on the day that they were made or being served but the cream cheese filling is why we must keep them stored in the fridge- for food safety reasons.
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