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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:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line muffin pan(s) with 18 liners.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Whisk in coffee and continue mixing until combined.
6. 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:
1. 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).
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 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 (generously frosts 18 cupcakes, but can reasonably frost 32 cupcakes):
- 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
Instructions
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:
- 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 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.
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.
For the icing, would you suggest to use the whisk attachment (KitchenAid mixer)to blend the cream cheese with the sugar as in your diagram or use the paddle attachment which I normally would use for buttercream icing? I noticed that in your photos for making the icing, you first used a hand mixer then switched to a stand mixer when mixing the chocolate with the cream cheese mixture?
Sorry for the confusion – you’re right it does look like I started off with a hand mixer and later switched to the stand mixer – I can’t remember why – I probably decided that the stand mixer was easier. You can use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer for the whole process. I’d use the whisk to really ensure you don’t have any clumps of cream cheese.
I made the cupcakes but not the icing. I did a raspberry cream cheese icing instead, which turned out perfect! The cupcakes were so yummy and moist and the batter was insanely good! The coffee really brings out the chocolatey flavor. Thanks for sharing!!
Oooh tell me more about this raspberry icing! 😉 You’re so welcome and thank YOU for the great review 🙂
Morning Natasha!
I make your dark chocolate cupcakes and your vanilla cupcakes all the time, not once did they turn out bad. Amazing. I have made some awesome creations for friends and family using your recipes. This father’s day I wanted to do something different. I love the dark chocolate recipe but was wondering if I could substitute the coffee this time for Guinness beer. I am making Irish car bombs (which is a stout cupcake with a whiskey chocolate ganache filling and a baileys irish cream buttercream frosting to top it all off. Ive been looking but im too nervous about trying a new recipe when yours is just amazing. would the substitution work?? let me know thanks.
laura
It sounds like it could work, but to be honest I have never tried putting alcohol into these cupcakes. I’m not sure how the alcohol content would affect the final product or if it will affect it at all. I wish I could be more helpful. Maybe someone else has insight into this?…
Hi!
Will these stay ok if I keep them in fridge for two nights?
Yes they will be fine, just keep them covered with something so they don’t take on fridge smells.
Hi Natasha! I made these last night and they are fantastic! They were gone almost instantly 🙂
Only one thing I had trouble with. The frosting came out just a bit runny. I was able to pipe the frosting but it didn’t hold its shape as well as yours did. Any suggestions? I definitely whipped the cream to stiff peaks. Maybe the chocolate was not cooled enough?
Thanks!!
Did you make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream? It whips up better than regular whipping cream. If you did, maybe you just needed to beat the heavy cream a little longer. This is normally supposed to be a very thick frosting. Also, did you make sure that the chocolate was no longer hot when you added it to the mix?
Looks yummy!!! I’ll try this soon.. 🙂 but can I steam it instead? Would I be getting the same texture? 🙂
Hi Theresa, what do you mean by steam? What are you planning to steam?
Natasha, I would like to make these cupcakes for my son’s b-day party, these look so good. I have one question; do you add the coffee hot or chilled to the batter when mixing? Thanks!
Hi Dina. Happy birthday to your son! I add the coffee hot or very warm. 🙂
Thank you Natasha. I made these cupcakes with your chocolate frosting and they turned out amazing! I also made your tres leeches cake and it was very good. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us.
Thank you so much for the awesome review! I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes.
Hi Natasha,
I am thinking about using this frosting for a 2-layer white cake (with jam in the middle). Do you think that would work well? Should I double the recipe? Can I frost the night before?
Thanks for your help.
For a two layer cake (if you are not going to have frosting in the middle), you will probably have enough frosting from 1 recipe. If you are planning to put frosting in the center, you might double it.
Thanks Natasha. Does this frosting keep as well as the “cupcake frosting”? I haven’t made either yet, but I noticed that you said the cupcake frosting keeps well and can be frosted ahead of time. Same with the white chocolate? Thanks! This is for my son’s 2nd bday!
Hi Taylor, yes, this frosting can be piped onto the cupcakes and refrigerated ahead of time as well. 🙂
One last question – making this morning! If I can’t cover the cake will the frosting dry out overnight?
You definitely want to cover the cake overnight. If it’s in the refrigerator, the cake and frosting can get dry around the edges and the cake can take on other food odors from the fridge.
Hi natasha,
Is the frosting very sweet because there is mny icing sugar an plus white choc in it
Thx yani
I didn’t feel it was overly sweet. It complements the chocolate cupcake perfectly 🙂
Does coffee have to be used in this this recipe?
No, you can replace it with water. The coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate but it’s not absolutely necessary for the recipe to work 🙂
Hi Natasha!
Your recipes look yummy
I want to ask what is the different between this recipe and “Moist Chocolate Cupcake with Prague Frosting”?
Is it different on the texture or else?
Because I found this recipe is using eggs bit the others not
Thanks before Natasha 😀
These cupcakes are much fluffier and crumblier. The texture is a lot more delicate than the others. The other cupcakes are easier to make and can hold a heavier frosting.
Ohh thanks a lot Natasha.
I had made this before, it looked the same with Devil’s food cake right? 😀
The texture of the cake is similar 🙂
This cake is wonderful !!!!! I made it for my little girl b-day who loves chocolate so much. Everybody loves this cake!!!! I only get to eat 1tiny slice out of the whole 8 inches cake!!!!! Love love love it!!!!
May, thank you for the great review, I’m very happy to hear that everyone loved it and next time you might have to make extra batch :D.
I’ve never commented on a baking blog before, but I feel compelled to after baking these for my dear wife’s b-day yesterday. They are beyond wonderful–just the right touch of sweet without being overwhelming.
Thanks for posting!
It’s awesome to hear from you Rich and thank you so much for the wonderful review! Happy birthday and many blessings to your wife!
Made these cupcakes yesterday! I used Valrhona Cocoa powder and chocolate- Devine!!!! Sooooo good!!! The frosting is to die for! Обалденно вкусно!!! Thank you!!!
Nastja
That sounds fancy and so yummy! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
This is by far my favorite combination for a cupcake. These look wonderful
Thanks Shelby! I just checked out your site too; your cinnamon sugar donuts look incredible!
Hi, what is plain greek yogurt?
Regular Greek Yogurt without any flavoring added.
Hi natasha…ahhhhmazing recipe 🙂 it was sooo good…I do have a question…can I sub white chocolate for semi sweet if I want chocolate frosting..because I don’t like buttercream frosting…thank you…love from egypt 🙂
To be honest, I haven’t tried making that switch, but I imagine it would work. I’m just not sure if it would be enough chocolate in the cream to make it look and taste really chocolatey. if you do try it, please let me know how you liked it! Hello from Idaho! 🙂
Hi Natasha! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I would want to try it out 🙂 I do not have a coffee machine so i can only use instant coffee mix? Will that be fine? And how do I make the coffee then? How much coffee would I use? I made chocolate cupcakes before with coffee in and I didn’t like it as it made the batter taste like watered down bitter coffee, I could taste it but I know it’s because I used instant coffee, so i just want to find out if you have any advise?
I’ve used instant coffee, espresso and drip coffee and as long as you could drink the coffee; it should taste just fine in the cupcakes. You shouldn’t be able to really taste the coffee in these cupcakes; it just enhances the chocolatey flavor.
Hi,
Your cupcakes look soooo good and yummy but I have to ask, how is this a dark chocolate cupcake recipe when the only chocolate being used here is cocoa powder? Wouldn’t that make it a regular chocolate cupcake?
I wish I had taken a photo of the inside of the cupcake. The cupcake is almost black and so moist and fluffy at the same time. It has intense and perfect chocolate flavor without being sugar overloaded. I don’t believe I’ve come across a dark chocolate cocoa. My understanding is that dark chocolate was mostly cocoa without all the extra sweetness – the darker it is; the higher % of cocoa.
I just made these cupcakes exactly how the recipe says. OMG they are horrible, I don’t know why I just bought everything to make these today it came out to $44.00 from Walmart. I don’t drink coffee so I bought some traditional roast gevalia coffee but all I taste is bitter chocolate and coffee. I have no idea what I could have possibly done wrong.
Hi Lily, Without being there, it’s hard to say what could have gone wrong. You shouldn’t really taste the coffee at all when you bite into the cupcake. How did you brew your coffee? You could try just use water next time (another reader had good results with just water). I’m so bummed they didn’t work out for you; these are my favorite chocolate cupcakes… Also, when I write cost estimates for a recipe, I base it on how much ingredients actually go into a recipe; for example, I wouldn’t attribute a full bag of coffee or entire bag of flour for 1 recipe, but break it out over several recipes. I hope that makes sense. Don’t give up! Normally, these taste amazing! 🙂