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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 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha,
I am wondering if you ever tried adding another flavor/ingredient to the frosting? I have it to your recipe before and loved it. But wondering if I can add lemon curd or strawberry jam?
Thanks!
Hi Taylor, I have not experimented with those 2 add-ins with this frosting. I think it’s worth experimenting, but you might try stirring into a small batch first to make sure the texture and color is what you want.
Thanks for the quick reply! On another note, do you think adding some 1-2 tsps of cinnamon to your “perfect vanilla cupcakes” would make a nice fluffy cinnamon cupcake? Thanks again!
Hi Taylor, I haven’t tried that but I think it’s worth an experiment!! If you try it, let me know how you like it with cinnamon! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering: can I omit coffee? I want to make these cupcakes for my children, but don’t like that these cupcakes will have coffee in it.
Hi Olga, I haven’t tested these without the coffee – I like adding coffee to chocolate cupcakes because it really amplifies the chocolatey flavor without really tasting the coffee 🙂 I think it would work to use water instead, but I haven’t tested it that way to say how it would affect the flavor.
I’m am interested in makeing these for my Aunts baby shower this weekend but I must admit I am no fan of dark chocolate! So I cannot help but wonder if the cake itself has that typical dark chocolate bitter taste or if it’s balanced with the icing? I definitely want to do a white chocolate frosting with chocolate cupcakes but the “dark chocolate” title is really throwing me for a loop.
The cake does not have the bitterness that people associate with dark chocolate, just very good deep chocolatey flavor. It is very well-balanced with the frosting as well. I hope you love it!
I made it with my girls, it was delicious!
I am so happy to hear that Jenny!
Hi Natasha, can this batter be used for 9 in cake? Would the recipe need to be doubled for a 2 layer cake? Thank you!
Hi Lesya, I haven’t tested it that way, but I’m concerned you might overflow your cake pans if you double the recipe since 1 recipe makes 18 cupcakes. I would probably start with 1 1/2 times the recipe for a 2-layer cake. If you try it as a cake, let me know how you liked it! Keep in mind you will likely have to bake longer.
can I put milk choclate instad dark choclate?
thanks
Hi Noa, do you mean the cocoa or instead of the white chocolate for the frosting? I think either one will work but if you use milk chocolate in the frosting, it will probably be lighter in color than regular chocolate frosting.
Natasha, when I add melted chocolate chips into the cream they become lumps. Do you know why that is?
Hi Tanya, I wonder if it could be the brand or type of chocolate you’re using? Or maybe you are waiting too long to stir it in?
Hey Natasha! Can I make he frosting the day before I have to use it?
Hi Ninna, I have found that it is the easiest to pipe on when you use it after making it. You can pipe it onto your cake or cupcakes and then refrigerate and it keeps refrigerated really well for several days.
I absolutely am in love with the white chocolate frosting; however, I have to beat the cream on high for 10 minutes not 1🤔
I have used this frosting twice in recent weeks. It turned out so much better the second time.
Making your kitchen my “go to kitchen “!
Hi Eva, thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I love the taste of your frostings but in my opinion there are not very sturdy. As with the vanilla cupcakes that use “heavy whipping cream” the frosting flops before you are even done putting it on. I have to keep the frosting refrigerated and frost in batches or its so liquidy. This is not like a buttercream that holds up well. I was pretty frustrated today trying to frost cupcakes for my sons birthday tomorrow.
Hi Nadya, are you using HEAVY whipping cream rather than just regular whipping cream? This frosting in particular is supposed to be pretty sturdy with the white chocolate and was even difficult to pipe because it was so thick for me. Also, make sure you beat your heavy cream until it is stiff, otherwise if you add it when it only has soft peaks, the overall consistency will be more loose. I hope that helps!
Do you think this frosting has the consistency to hold up under fondant? Or is it consistent enough to get sharp edges and withstand room temperature? I have a customer who wants a blue velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and I’m going crazy trying to find the right recipe. Also, her wedding is in a barn with industrial sized fans. I’m not sure how warm it will get and I’m terrified of any possibility of it melting or running. Thanks! 😀
Hi Heather, this frosting is pretty sturdy. I would definitely test it in whatever extremes you are going to use it but it’s probably my sturdiest frosting – the white chocolate makes it nice and thick. 🙂
Thank you! I’ll give it a test run for sure. 😀
Hey Natasha!
Can I use instant espresso powder for the cupcakes? If I can, how much would you recommend? Also, how did you pipe the frosting on your cupcakes (the one with the chocolate shavings)?
Thanks!
Hi Mai, The powder would work, just make it according to package instructions – it should just taste like a strong cup of coffee. Regarding piping on the frosting, please see my note under the assembly section.
hi
Natasha
Its wonderful recipe .I have one question that what can I use instead brewed coffee because My kids don’t like coffee flavor.
Thank you very much
You could just use water. You can’t really taste coffee in this recipe – it really just amplifies the chocolate flavor.
thank you very much natasha
Hi Natasha, I want to make this frosting but I’m wondering if you ever tried or you think it would achieve the same consistency if I melt Wilting Candy Melts instead of chocolate? I want to make yellow frosting, and I thought that since the candy has to be melted like chocolate, it should work. What do you think?
Hi Natasha, I haven’t tried that but I think it could work. I would suggest mixing it in in a small batch so if it globs up or fails, you wouldn’t have ruined the whole batch.
So the wilton candy melts worked 🙂 but the color is not as rich as I had hoped because of all the white creams. So a frosting with food coloring added would have served better for the color goal. Other than that, I used a hand mixer for the heavy whipping cream and the highest speed is 5 so it took 2 minutes + to get stiff peaks. This is for those with the comments about runny frosting. 🙂
Thank you so much for reporting back and sharing that with us! That’s awesome to know 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I just made the white chocolate frosting and. I didnt overbeat everything esp thewhopping cream but mine turned out sloppy. I cant even pipe it and when i spread it it really sliding off.. can u pls help me. Thanks in advance..;)
Normally this frosting is supposed to be stiff. Did you use heavy whipping cream rather than just whipping cream? It sounds like maybe you didn’t beat the whipping cream long enough if it was loose. Did your whipped cream look stiff and spreadable like mine in the photo when I stirred it in? I hope that helps!
What a beautiful presentation! Natasha, what pastry decorating tips set would you recommend for those of us wanting to invest in one?
Thank you so much Tanya! I pretty much only use these three large tips: http://amzn.to/1PqAyPC. You can buy a reusable bag to go with them or buy disposable ones and cut the hole at the bottom yourself.
Hi! would this recipe work the same way if I used it for making a cake (same amount of ingredients) ?? looks delicious!
Natasha, for the cake instructions, click here. The gal that I got the original recipe from used it for the cake. Let me know how it turns out 😀 .
Hi Natasha! I love your cupcakes and am making them for a friends wedding this weekend! I need to make a chocolate one-tiered cake as well and I’m wondering if this recipe would come out firm enough to be iced with buttercream?
Hi Shannon, to be honest, I haven’t tried this as a cake but the cupcakes do turn out super soft and fluffy so it might not be ideal for a heavy buttercream.
Hi Natasha,
I am planning on making Mickey mouse cupcakes for my sons birthday and I’m going to use Oreo cookies for the ears, which of your frostings do you think will work best so that the ears won’t slide off? Or which frosting is the most thick?
Actually I think this frosting is the firmest with the white chocolate in there. I think this should hold cookies pretty well. I’m sure your cupcakes will be darling!
I could not resist commenting!!! I just made these out of this world cupcakes!! Not even the store bought ones compare. These are absolutely the bomb! The frosting: oh man! Where do I begin!! While I was making it, I licked the spoon, the bowls and everything the frosting touched lol that’s how good it is!! It’s billowy, for sure. This recipe is a keeper for sure! Thanks a million, Natasha, for a scrumptious and delicious cupcake recipe :):)
That sounds a little like me; licking the bowl, the spoon, my fingers. lol. I’m so happy you loved it! 🙂
Hi Natasha. Love your site. I just made these and the frosting is a bit runny and I have toppers which are sliding. Think I could stick them all in the freezer overnight for tomorrow night’s event ? I am thinking it’ll help the toppers stick.. Thanks
I’d probably put them in the fridge before the freezer. I actually had the opposite problem; my frosting was too thick to pipe through one of my toppers. Did you do anything differently? Did you make sure to beat your heavy cream long enough?