Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

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Make black Valentine’s Day cupcakes with dramatic color, bakery-style texture, and a rich burgundy buttercream. Perfect for parties or dessert tables.

in this article:

Know Before You Scroll

Servings: 24

Prep: 30

Cook: 18

Total Time: 48

What You’ll Need

Pantry baking staples, black cocoa powder, gel food coloring, butter, buttermilk

Flavor Profile

Deep cocoa flavor with a subtle chocolate bitterness, balanced by sweet, creamy vanilla buttercream

Difficulty Level

Easy to Intermediate

Equipment Needed

Mixing bowls, whisk, stand or hand mixer, cupcake pans, piping bag with large star tip

Top Tip

Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting so the buttercream keeps its tall, clean swirl

Ingredient Swaps

Use Dutch-processed cocoa if needed, but expect a lighter color

A Black Valentine’s Day Cupcake with deep purple frosting, topped with a glossy, heart-shaped chocolate piece, sits on a white plate against a plain white background.

In The Test Kitchen

I wanted these black Valentine’s Day cupcakes to look bold and dramatic without tasting artificial or dry. The key was using black cocoa sparingly for color and depth while relying on buttermilk, oil, and butter for moisture. The batter looks almost ink-black before baking but bakes up soft and plush instead of dense. For the buttercream, layering deep red and violet creates a burgundy tone, with just a tiny drop of black to keep it rich rather than muddy.

Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes: Chocolate cupcakes with dark purple frosting, each topped with a glossy chocolate heart, arranged closely together on a white background.

Achieving a True Black Cake

I put this cake through multiple rounds of testing before sending it to my recipe tester, and one thing became clear almost immediately: “black” cocoa powder isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Many brands marketed as black actually bake up closer to dark brown or charcoal, while others barely deepen at all in the oven. Even when the batter looks dark going in, the finished cake doesn’t always deliver that dramatic black crumb you’re aiming for.

A close-up of Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes with dark purple frosting. One cupcake, partially unwrapped, has a bite taken out, revealing a moist, rich chocolate interior. The frosting is swirled decoratively on top.

In one test, my recipe tester used a cocoa powder that simply refused to turn black after baking. No matter what we did, the color stalled short of true black. The takeaway was obvious: when it comes to black cake, the cocoa powder brand makes a huge difference. After comparing results, The Cocoa Trader and Modern Mountain stood out for producing a naturally deep black cake with no food coloring required. Both baked up evenly, delivered a bold bakery-style color, and continued to deepen slightly as the cake cooled, giving the most consistent and striking results overall.

Ingredient Notes

A variety of baking ingredients on a white surface, perfect for making Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes, including flour, eggs, butter, sugar, salt, oil, chocolate, milk, cream, black food coloring, vanilla, and red and purple gel food coloring.

Cocoa Powder

Best Choice

Black cocoa powder for the darkest color and dramatic look

Substitutions

Dutch-processed cocoa works, but the cupcakes will be dark brown instead of black

Buttermilk

Best Choice

Full-fat buttermilk at room temperature for the most tender crumb

Substitutions

Whole milk with one tablespoon vinegar per cup

Food Coloring

Best Choice

Gel food coloring for intense color without thinning the batter or frosting

Substitutions

Liquid food coloring works in a pinch but requires more and may soften the buttercream

Butter

Best Choice

Unsalted butter so you can control the salt level

Substitutions

Salted butter can be used, but skip any added salt

You can find the full, printable recipe at the top of this post, but you can read the detailed instructions with photos for each step below.

Go to the printable recipe card instead

Step By Step Instructions

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 12 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons black cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon black gel food coloring until smooth and fully blended.

Two glass bowls on a white surface: the left holds melted butter, flour, and dark liquid; the right reveals a rich batter—perfect for making Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, sift together 1¾ cups granulated sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.

A glass bowl filled with flour and a metal whisk resting inside, all on a white surface—perfect for mixing up batter for Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes.

Make the Batter

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure everything is evenly incorporated without overmixing.

Two glass bowls seen from above: the left holds dry white flour over black liquid, while the right shows the mixture whisked into a smooth black batter—perfect for making Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes. A metal whisk rests inside the batter.

Fill and Bake

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Two muffin pans are upside down and empty, while a cooling rack below holds twelve Black Valentine’s Day Cupcakes, arranged in neat rows. The background is white.

Make The Buttercream

Beat softened unsalted butter with powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until fluffy. Add red gel food coloring, then violet, finishing with a tiny drop of black, beating until smooth and evenly colored. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and swirl over each cupcake,