Easy Halloween Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Moist chocolate cupcakes with a sweet-tart raspberry filling and fluffy black chocolate buttercream sweetened with monk fruit. Leave the shimmering swirls uncovered or dip some in dark chocolate, then serve with white chocolate strawberry ghosts.
Equipment
- Muffin pan and 10 cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk and spatula
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Electric mixer
- Piping bag and piping tip
- Cupcake corer or small knife
- Wire cooling rack
- Heatproof bowls
- Baking paper and toothpicks
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar or 1/2 cup brown monk fruit baking sweetener, see Notes
- 1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup or pure maple syrup 60 ml
- 1/4 cup coconut oil 60 ml, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tbsp mild olive oil 30 ml
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk 75 ml, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/4 cup sweet lupin flour or replace with 1/2 cup additional almond flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened natural cacao powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 15 ml
Raspberry Filling
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup cooled raspberry jam prepared without gelatin, see Notes
Black Chocolate Buttercream
- 180 to 210 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered monk fruit sweetener blend suitable for frosting
- 3 to 4 1/2 tbsp heavy cream or milk 45 to 67.5 ml, added gradually
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Black gel food coloring to your preferred shade
- Small pinch fine sea salt
Optional Dark Chocolate Coating
- 70 g dark chocolate I use 90%, see Notes
Strawberry Ghosts
- 10 strawberries washed and completely dried
- 150 g white chocolate plus more if needed for dipping
- 20 store-bought edible candy eyes
- A little melted dark chocolate for the mouths
Instructions
Part 1: Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat to 175°C (350°F) conventional or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Line a muffin pan with 10 cupcake liners.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift together the almond flour, lupin flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, coconut sugar or brown monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup, coconut oil, olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the vinegar last.
- Combine and bake: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix gently until evenly combined. Divide between the liners, filling about three-quarters full. Bake for approximately 18–22 minutes, checking from 16 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, without wet batter. Bake any excess batter in an additional liner rather than overfilling.
- Cool: Leave in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the buttercream.
Part 2: Black Chocolate Buttercream
- Whip the butter: Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the sweetener and cocoa: Sift in the powdered monk fruit sweetener and cocoa powder. Add the vanilla and salt, then mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Adjust the consistency and color: Add 3 tablespoons of cream or milk and beat until fluffy and pipeable. Add more liquid a teaspoon at a time if needed. Mix in the black gel coloring gradually until you reach your preferred shade.
- Cover and refrigerate: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate while the cupcakes finish cooling. Before piping, let the buttercream soften until workable, then briefly beat again.
Part 3: Fill and Frost
- Add the raspberry filling: Remove a small piece from the center of each cooled cupcake with a corer or small knife, keeping the bottom intact. Spoon or pipe approximately 1 1/2–2 teaspoons of cooled raspberry filling into each hole, just level with the top.
- Pipe the buttercream: Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. The black buttercream looks beautiful on its own! Leave some uncovered and coat others with dark chocolate, or decorate however you prefer.
- Optional chocolate coating: Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes until the buttercream is firm. Melt the dark chocolate gently and let it cool until barely warm but still fluid. Dip the tops of a few chilled cupcakes into the chocolate or drizzle it over the frosting. Let the coating set.
Part 4: Strawberry Ghosts
- Melt and dip: Melt the white chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, keeping the bowl clear of the water. Holding each completely dry strawberry by its leaves, dip it into the chocolate, leaving the green top uncovered. Place on baking paper, allowing a little chocolate to pool underneath.
- Add the faces: While the coating is soft, attach two candy eyes to each strawberry. Let the coating set, then use a toothpick dipped in melted dark chocolate to draw a mouth.
- Arrange and serve: Serve the strawberry ghosts beside the cupcakes, or place them on top shortly before serving.
Notes
Cupcake Size:
Makes approximately 10 larger cupcakes, depending on your pan and liners. Fill about three-quarters full. Bake extra batter in another liner rather than overfilling. Baking time varies with size. Flour Option:
Use 1⅓ cups almond flour plus ¼ cup sweet lupin flour. To omit the lupin, replace it with ½ cup additional almond flour, making 1⅚ cups almond flour in total. The texture may vary slightly. Raspberry Filling:
Make one-quarter of my Refined Sugar-Free Raspberry Jam recipe, reducing the ingredients proportionally. Omit the gelatin and its blooming water. Follow the raspberry cooking steps and add the scaled amount of basil or chia seeds as directed. Cool completely before filling. The result should be soft and spoonable, not watery; reduce further if needed. Sweetener Choice:
The coconut sugar and brown monk fruit amounts are different sweetness options. Check your baking blend’s sweetness and substitution guidance. Keep the maple syrup in either version. Powdered Sweetener:
Use a powdered monk fruit blend intended to replace confectioners’ sugar, not concentrated pure monk fruit extract. Granulated sweetener can make the frosting gritty. Buttercream:
This buttercream batch is 1½ times my original 8-cupcake batch, allowing generous decoration. The butter should be soft but not melting. Add cream gradually. Refrigerated frosting needs to soften before piping. Black Coloring:
Add gel coloring gradually, as strength varies by brand. The shade can deepen as the buttercream rests. Chocolate Finish:
The 70 g dark chocolate is for coating a few cupcakes or drizzling. You will need more to dip all 10. Leave some shimmering black swirls uncovered and coat others, or decorate however you like. Other Cupcake Bases:
Use your favorite chocolate cupcakes or my Fudgy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins, leaving off the chocolate chip and hazelnut topping before decorating. Storage:
Refrigerate in an airtight container. Add the strawberry ghosts shortly before serving and enjoy within 1–2 days for the freshest fruit and decoration. Let chilled cupcakes soften briefly before serving. Allergy Note:
Contains almonds, eggs, milk, and lupin. Check chocolate and candy eyes for additional allergens. If you have a lupin or peanut allergy, consult your allergy specialist before using lupin flour.
Makes approximately 10 larger cupcakes, depending on your pan and liners. Fill about three-quarters full. Bake extra batter in another liner rather than overfilling. Baking time varies with size. Flour Option:
Use 1⅓ cups almond flour plus ¼ cup sweet lupin flour. To omit the lupin, replace it with ½ cup additional almond flour, making 1⅚ cups almond flour in total. The texture may vary slightly. Raspberry Filling:
Make one-quarter of my Refined Sugar-Free Raspberry Jam recipe, reducing the ingredients proportionally. Omit the gelatin and its blooming water. Follow the raspberry cooking steps and add the scaled amount of basil or chia seeds as directed. Cool completely before filling. The result should be soft and spoonable, not watery; reduce further if needed. Sweetener Choice:
The coconut sugar and brown monk fruit amounts are different sweetness options. Check your baking blend’s sweetness and substitution guidance. Keep the maple syrup in either version. Powdered Sweetener:
Use a powdered monk fruit blend intended to replace confectioners’ sugar, not concentrated pure monk fruit extract. Granulated sweetener can make the frosting gritty. Buttercream:
This buttercream batch is 1½ times my original 8-cupcake batch, allowing generous decoration. The butter should be soft but not melting. Add cream gradually. Refrigerated frosting needs to soften before piping. Black Coloring:
Add gel coloring gradually, as strength varies by brand. The shade can deepen as the buttercream rests. Chocolate Finish:
The 70 g dark chocolate is for coating a few cupcakes or drizzling. You will need more to dip all 10. Leave some shimmering black swirls uncovered and coat others, or decorate however you like. Other Cupcake Bases:
Use your favorite chocolate cupcakes or my Fudgy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins, leaving off the chocolate chip and hazelnut topping before decorating. Storage:
Refrigerate in an airtight container. Add the strawberry ghosts shortly before serving and enjoy within 1–2 days for the freshest fruit and decoration. Let chilled cupcakes soften briefly before serving. Allergy Note:
Contains almonds, eggs, milk, and lupin. Check chocolate and candy eyes for additional allergens. If you have a lupin or peanut allergy, consult your allergy specialist before using lupin flour.
