Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
These Dark Chocolate Cupcakes are deliciously chocolaty and made completely from scratch. They feature a chocolate buttermilk cake frosted with chocolate American buttercream and topped with chocolate sprinkles. The cake is moist and fluffy and has a dark chocolate flavour that is enhanced with coffee. The buttercream is rich and creamy and also full of chocolate flavour. These cupcakes keep well and are perfect to serve for a special occasion or dessert.
Tips for Making Perfect Cupcakes
- Avoid under-baking the cupcakes: If these cupcakes are under-baked, they will fall as they are cooling. To avoid this, ensure the cupcakes bounce back when pressed on top before removing them from the oven.
- Mix the buttercream well: If the butter/shortening and icing sugar is not beaten until light and fluffy before adding the heavy cream and flavouring, the buttercream will be dense.
- Enjoy them fresh: These cupcakes taste best the day they are made. Otherwise they should be stored in the freezer to prevent staling.
A: Your cupcakes may be dense if there was a lot of gluten development while making the batter. To prevent this, do not over-mix the batter after the flour is added.
Q: Why do my cupcakes taste bitter?
A: Making the coffee used for the cupcakes too strong can make them taste bitter. I use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 1 cup of water.
Q: Can these cupcakes be made into a layered cake?
A: Yes they can. The chocolate cake has a resilient structure that is perfect for a layered cake.
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe By: Blue Ribbon Eats, chocolate cake adapted from this recipe from Genius Kitchen
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Baking Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (84g) cocoa powder (Rodelle Organics brand)
2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream:
6 tablespoons cocoa powder (Rodelle Organics brand)
INSTRUCTIONS
Chocolate Cake:
- Line a 12 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix until blended.
- In a large bowl add the sugar, eggs and salt. Stir quickly using a whisk until the mixture is paler in colour. Add the grapeseed oil and mix until blended. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Add the hot coffee and mix just until blended.
- Pour cake batter into each cupcake liner to reach the top.
- Bake at 325°F until the cupcakes are set. Place the cupcake pan on a cooling rack and let the cupcakes cool to room temperature. Once the cupcakes are cool, gentle remove them from the cake pans.
Chocolate Buttercream:
- Prepare my American Buttercream as described in the recipe, adding the cocoa powder to the creamed butter/icing sugar mixture and mixing until blended before adding the heavy cream and vanilla.
Assembly:
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with chocolate buttercream.
- Pipe a chocolate buttercream rosette on top of each cupcake, moving from the edges of the cupcake to the centre.
- Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on top of each cupcake.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes ~ 20 minutes before serving.
Yields 12 servings
1 hrPrep Time
25 minCook Time
1 hr, 25 Total Time
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Ingredients
2 cups (330g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (84g) cocoa powder (Rodelle Organics brand)
2 cups (444g) white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee
American Buttercream (Blue Ribbon Eats recipe)
6 tablespoons cocoa powder (Rodelle Organics brand)
Instructions
- Line a 12 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix until blended.
- In a large bowl add the sugar, eggs and salt. Stir quickly using a whisk until the mixture is paler in colour. Add the grapeseed oil and mix until blended. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Add the hot coffee and mix just until blended.
- Pour cake batter into each cupcake liner to reach the top.
- Bake at 325°F until the cupcakes are set. Place the cupcake pan on a cooling rack and let the cupcakes cool to room temperature. Once the cupcakes are cool, gentle remove them from the cake pans.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
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