This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. I knew these dark chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate frosting were a keeper from the first bite. These are ultra chocolatey. The chocolate cake portion is dark, rich and decadent but still fluffy. The white chocolate frosting is dense and billowy making it the perfect compliment to the chocolate base. My niece turned 3 and I had the honor of making the birthday cupcakes. I knew they had to be something special. The birthday girl loves chocolate so these cupcakes seemed obvious. Did you notice how I bold-faced the important words. Now you speed readers can just scan the highlighted portions and that’s all you really need to know!
Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour measured correctly 1 cup granulated sugarm 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg, at room temperature 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt 1/3 cup extra light olive oil or canola oil 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, hot
White Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
(Enough to very generously frost 18 cupcakes, but you can reasonably frost 32 cupcakes with this frosting): 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened at room temp 1 cups powdered sugar 4 oz white chocolate bar, melted & cooled slightly (white chocolate chips work equally well) 1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream Chocolate shavings or sprinkles, optional for garnish
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line muffin pan(s) with 18 liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together: 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla for 1 minute on med/high speed or until well blended.
With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until no clumps of flour remain. You’ll be really tempted to eat the batter.
Whisk in coffee and continue mixing until combined.
Divide batter equally between 18 prepared cupcake liners. Filling about 1/2 full. Bake 18-20 mins or until tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from cupcake pan then cool completely to room temp before applying frosting.
How to Make White Chocolate Frosting: Frosting How-To:
- Beat together 8 oz pkg cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar (starting on low so you aren’t covered in a cloud of powdered sugar, and beating until well blended and creamy (make sure no clumps of cream cheese remain or it will be difficult to pipe the frosting when done.
- Melt 4 oz white chocolate bar according to package instructions on the stove or in the microwave just until melted when you stir it (don’t overheat chocolate in the microwave or it will turn crumbly). Once chocolate is no longer hot but still liquid, blend it into your cream cheese mixture on high speed until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, beat 1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form (about 1 min on high speed). Don’t over-beat cream or it will turn buttery and will be difficult to blend. Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated and smooth.
Assembling Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Once cupcakes are cooled to room temp, pipe or spread frosting over cupcakes, sprinkle with shaved chocolate and serve. I used the Wilton 2D closed flower tip to decorate, but in hindsight, the Wilton 1M would have been easier to pipe this frosting on. It’s dense and fluffy and would have flowed easier out of a 1M.
Credits: Cake base adapted from Half-Baked Harvest‘s cake. Frosting recipe & decor: my own).
Here’s yet another decorating idea:
I only wish I had taken a picture of the inside for y’all. These were so so good! Summer is right around the corner and around here, summer = parties! Are you planning any shindigs? Can I come? (I’ll just leave you with that shameless, awkward question). Have an amazing weekend peeps! I promised you a great recipe when I got off work so here ya go! I worked a 12 today. It was a LONG one and my keyboard looks like a good pillow right now.
