Halloween Cupcakes with Black Cocoa

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Sift the all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl to remove lumps.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. Gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined; do not overmix to ensure a moist crumb.
4. Divide the batter evenly among 22 cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. While cupcakes cool, combine raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until thickened into a jam-like consistency.
6. Strain the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, then allow the filling to cool.
7. Use an apple corer or small piping tip to remove the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the cavity with the raspberry reduction.
8. Beat softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth, then mix in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Add gel food coloring as desired.
9. Chill the frosting for 1 hour to ensure stability before piping decorative patterns onto the cupcakes.