This is a very dark chocolate cake and comes out almost black due to the dark cocoa powder. Paired with the easy buttercream and the cute spider cupcake toppers, this is a super fun treat to make! Makes about 48 cupcakes
4ozdutched cocoa powderwe used Guittard 100% Cocoa Noir
4largeeggsroom temperature
1teaspoonsalt
2 ½teaspoonbaking powder
¼cupstrong coffeecooled to room temperature
2cupmilkroom temperature
1tablespoonvanilla extract
2teaspoonblack food coloring
Easy Buttercream
8ozpasteurized egg whites
2lbs powdered sugar
2lbsunsalted butter
1 teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonvanilla extract
Spider Toppers
2cupscake scraps
¼cupchocolate ganache or buttercream
6ozcandy melts
2ozblack sprinkles
1bagpretzel sticks
1bageyeball sprinkles
Instructions
NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and not cold or hot. If your ingredients just came out of the refrigerator or the coffee is too hot, your mixture could curdle during the process of making the cake batter and become ruined.NOTE: If you use a cocoa powder that is different than listed, your cake will not be as dark. You can supplement the color with 1 teaspoon of super black food coloring
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.
Prepare cupcake pans with liners
Add butter to stand mixer and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating 1 full minute per egg.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.
Combine the milk, vanilla extract and strong coffee and black food coloring in a liquid measuring cup.
With the mixer at the lowest speed, add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to low speed, beat until the batter looks like satin, about 15 seconds longer.
Divide the batter evenly into cupcake liners. I put about 1.5 oz in each cup using a medium sized ice cream scoop for easy portioning.
Easy Buttercream
Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for about a minute. Then add in unsalted butter in small chunks, salt and vanilla and whip until light and white in color. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low (optional) to get out the bubbles. This takes about 10-15 minutes.
Divide buttercream in half and color yellow and orange. Roll into a bullet (see video) and place into a piping bag with a 2F piping tip. Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes and top with spider toppers.