Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
These are the BEST chocolate cupcakes – a moist chocolate cupcake recipe made from scratch with a chocolate ganache center and dreamy chocolate frosting.
I have shared approximately one billion (actually, 40) cupcake recipes over the years, but this is the ONLY chocolate-chocolate version you’ll find. I’ve had some chocolate cupcake bases, but those were topped with things like peanut butter frosting, espresso buttercream and salted caramel frosting… then there were the faux Hostess cupcakes, the black-bottom cupcakes and the vegan chocolate cupcakes.
They are all amazing cupcakes, but when you need something fabulously rich and overflowing with chocolate flavor, this recipe is absolutely IT… done and done. I use this recipe anytime I want chocolate cupcakes; I’ve never even been tempted to try other recipes since finding this one.
First things first – the cake part of these cupcakes is phenomenal. It’s often times hard to find a cupcake recipe that not only domes perfectly when baked, but is also moist and tender inside (not dry and crumbly). These are all of that and more; they totally melt in your mouth.
MY OTHER RECIPESTo enhance the flavor and the moist texture, a dollop of chocolate ganache is placed on top of the cupcake batter before they are baked. It’s an optional step and you can make the cupcakes with out it, but I highly, highly recommend it (obviously, ha!).
And oh my, the frosting. It’s almost beyond words. Satiny smooth, buttery, just sweet enough and oh-so-chocolatey. I could (and did!) eat it with a spoon. Piled high on those cupcakes, it’s the perfect frosting-to-cupcake ratio for me. I do the whole “go big or go home” when it comes to frosting on cupcakes; no wimpy swirls here, only big, billowy mountains of chocolate frosting.
The way things were meant to be.
A couple of quick notes on this recipe:
- The recipe calls for bread flour, which has a bit more protein than all-purpose flour and helps to keep the cupcakes stable enough for the ganache filling. I always use bread flour (even if I omit the ganache filling, which I do at times), but some readers have reported success using all-purpose flour, as well.
- It’s important not to chill the ganache filling for too long, or it will be too firm and dense, and will sink to the bottom of the cupcakes (see evidence below!). It will still be there, and still be delicious, but will be firmer and lower in the cupcake than intended.
- This is probably the most fabulous chocolate frosting I’ve made and have used it in a number of different recipes; it has corn syrup in it, which turns a lot of people off. I beg you to try it, but if you don’t like or don’t want to make it, then might I suggest my chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s totally different, but would be my #2 option for you.
Do you Need Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes?
While I have not personally created a gluten-free version, here are comments from readers who HAVE turned these into gluten-free cupcakes with success:
My daughter made these, at 11 years old. We made them, with gluten free baking mix, but otherwise followed the recipe and boy were they beyond delish. Just the right consistency in the cake, and the ganache in the center was a lovely addition. She shared them with our friends, and has been commissioned to make some more for them, as they have to eat gluten free…and rarely get such a delicious dessert. Well done! ~Gretchen A.
The best cupcakes ever! I changed them to Gluten Free all purpose flour and one teaspoon on Xantham gum, the best gluten free cupcakes we have every made! Thank you ~Dawn
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day and I know everyone is clamoring for light, bright, spring-y desserts loaded with fruit, and I have a couple of those coming for you this week, but if your mom (or grandma, aunt, sister, wife, or whoever you are celebrating on Mother’s Day) is a chocolate lover, you can give her no better gift than these amazing cupcakes!
Bake away!
One year ago: Healthier Honey-Fig Scones
Four years ago: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Five years ago: Mimosa Truffles
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
These cupcakes are a chocolate-lover’s dream!
Ingredients:
For the Ganache Filling
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
For the Cupcakes
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177 ml) hot coffee
- ¾ cup (117 grams) bread flour
- ¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1¼ cups (283 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (113 grams) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (64 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup (234 grams) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces chocolate (milk, semisweet or dark), melted and cooled
Directions:
- Make the Ganache Filling: Place the chopped chocolate, heavy cream and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave on high power until the mixture is warm to the touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth, then refrigerate until just barely chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Make the Frosting: In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 one-second pulses. Frost the cupcakes as desired. The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes:
- The ganache filling can be omitted it if you’d like a more traditional chocolate cupcake.
- The frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours before using, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated)
All images and text ©
This recipe was originally published on August 20, 2013.
Products Featured in this Recipe:
(may contain affiliate links)
Wow!!! Congratulations!!! I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of years, so I almost feel like a friend just got secret hitched. I can’t wait for you to share more of the story. These cupcakes look amazing, and that frosting is just ridiculous. Congratulations again. Wishing you a life of aloha.
?Could I sub the bread flour with white whole wheat or AP flour? I really want to try these because the vanilla cupcake and frosting recipe you shared was amazing.
Hi Linsey, I don’t recommend substituting something else for the bread flour – it helps with the gluten development and final structure/texture of the cupcakes.
Hi Michelle congratulations on being a newlywed!
Regarding the bread flour we don’t have that in Ecuador, what would you advise to do???
Maria and Linsey, I rarely/never have bread flour on hand, and I always use AP flour. Sure, they might not always have that PERFECT texture, but I never notice a huge difference and always get loads of compliments! :) So in my opinion, while bread flour would be the best, subbing AP flour for bread flour won’t ruin recipes.
Good to know! Thanks Jess!
I just made these using regular white flour. I couldn’t find bread flour in Australia. They turned out amazing!
You used regular ap flour? Did you do the gardenache filling?
If it’s the same in Oz as in the UK it’s just “Strong Flour”.
What is bread flour? I regular flour, cake flour and self-rising flour. None of these will work?
Hi Denise, Bread flour is a flour with a higher protein content. In the U.S. you can find it in virtually any grocery store.
Denise, I always use regular AP flour, and I never notice too much of a difference. You can definitely use regular flour, or maybe even cake flour – I have never used cake flour but seeing as this is a cake recipe it only makes sense that you could use it :)
I would not sub “cake” flour as is on the opposite end of the protein spectrum as Bread flour-hence it’s use to bring about a delicate crumb structure in pastries!
Yes u can I’ve done that and it was amazing
Yes definitely! I’ve done it! Still totally amazing
These look so decadent and chocolatey – just gorgeous cupcakes! Congrats on being a newlywed and hope your wedding and honeymoon were just perfect.
Congratulations! Hope you had a great day, and are enjoying married life so far!
These cupcakes look fantastic – I’ll try them soon!
THAT FROSTING LOOKS AMAZING. Like, the perfect chocolate frosting.
These look like perfection, love the chocolate on chocolate! Congrats on your wedding!
Congrats, first of all!!!!!!!!!! You had the least amount of pre-wedding mentions of anyone I’ve ever known in blog world and of avidly reading blogs for 6+ years Ive seen my fair share of bloggers get married. I hope you share a few pics with us from your special day if you’re comfortable with it. I would love to see them!
Next, the cupcakes. Some of your most beautiful photos to date. Just stunning. And the flavor. They sound just incredible. From the moistness to the ganache pre-baking to the beautiful sky-high mounds of frosting. I need to make these. Pinned for sure!
Congrats! I can’t wait to hear more about it!
And man oh man. These cupcakes are absolutely heavenly. And that glossy frosting? Swoon!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to hear about the wedding! I think he’s a lucky guy! You’ve been missed!
Congratulations on your first post as Mrs.Chief Culinary Consultant :) !
The cupcakes look amazing.
Dear Michelle,
I need to say “congratulations!!!!” Even before I finish reading your post! Wonderful news. All the best to you both.
Radhika
Yum, these cupcakes look to-die-for! I’m gonna need to find an occasion to make these for! Also…congratulations! From all your postings, you come off as I very sweet person, I sincerely wish you and your new husband the very best life has to offer…here’s to a sweet life ;)
Death by chocolate (cupcakes) … a gorgeous one, too! Looks delicious :)
Congratulations!! I can’t wait to hear about your wedding. These look like a perfect way to celebrate!
My usual complaint about cupcakes is too much cake to frosting-this solves that perfectly. And congratulations on the wedding!
Congratulations!! Looking forward to seeing some pictures.
The cupcakes look incredible! Pinned them.
The frosting on these cupcakes looks fab!! Yum!
Best wishes on marrying your CCC. The cupcakes look amazing. Hope we get to see a few pics of the beautiful bride.
Oh my…these cupcakes look SO amazing! Lots of chocolate…I love it!
These cupcakes look amazing. Can’t wait ti have an excuse to make them.
Congratulations and welcom home. I am looking forward to any pics of your wedding that you feel you want to share. You mentioned renting a house so I am wondering if Einstein made the trip with you and attended the wedding too.
Thank you, Nancy! Einstein did not make the trip; it was a long drive and I was worried about leaving him in an unfamiliar place alone when we all went out to dinner or to do other things.
Yeah, this definitely look insanely good!!!
Congratulations on getting married!
Oh dear heavens, I had to whip the drool form my mouth. These cupcakes, oh these cupcakes look amazing, amazing, amazing!!! I just want to spoon that frosting!!
Hi! First of all, congrats on your marriage! Your cupcakes looks sinfully delicious! May I know how many teaspoon of coffee powder went into your 3/4 cup of hot coffee? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I have a Keurig, so I just brewed a cup, measured out ¾ cup and that was it. Usually I make coffee by dividing however many cups I’m making by 2 and adding 1… so, if you make 6 cups of coffee, I would use 4 scoops (6/2 = 3 + 1 = 4).
No need for a special occasion to make theses cupcakes…I’m just making them! Congrats on your marriage!!
Congratulations!!! So happy for you!
Congratulations on the wedding!
Neither my husband or I drink coffee so I don’t have any in the house. Any suggestions on a substitute?
Hi Heather, I really do recommend using the coffee, as you can’t taste it but it adds tremendous depth to the flavor and really brings out the chocolate. I would run over to Starbucks or McDonalds and get a cup for the recipe!
My husband and I are Mormons; realizing that we will be sacrificing something, any recommendations? Water would obviously *work*, but would additional cocoa, or chocolate, or vanilla help? Or should I try one of those coffee-like drink substitutes?
Hi Elisabeth, You really don’t want to use hot chocolate or flavored coffee drinks because of the extra sugar they will add to the cupcakes. I think your best bet here would be water, unfortunately.
should you use black coffee? or coffe with milk?
Yes, black coffee, do not add milk or sweeteners.
Hi Elisabeth I’m a mormon too and I’ve made these cupcakes with hot water instead of the coffee and they are fantastic. If you want a bigger chocolate hit then use more cocoa or chocolate but I think they’re fine as they are. I find with baking anything it’s always about personal taste and many recipes are tweaked anyway. Thanks for sharing Michelle :)
These look heavenly!! I can seriously taste the chocolate by looking at your pictures!! Also, Congratulations!
That chocolate icing looks incredible.
Congrats!! So happy for you!!
These cupcakes are incredible!
Best Wishes to the new bride!!!!!!!
Yay, congratulations – so happy for you Michelle! And glad you’re back :) This is one of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes too, and your photos of them are gorgeous!
Congrats! Enjoy married life… The cupcakes also look amazing. Death by chocolate :)
Hi Michelle,
First off, congratulations and much happiness!
Have you ever tried this frosting recipe with a regular hand beater?
CI recommends the food processor too….problem is, I don’t have one big enough.
Thank you
Sharon
Hi Sharon, Thank you!! I have not tried this with a hand beater. While the consistency may not be exactly the same, I think you could do it. Enjoy!
I don’t have a food processor so I made the frosting with my stand mixer last night and it turned out great. I just creamed the butter well before slowly adding the sugar & cocoa & salt. Just make sure that you scrape the bowl as you go. Beautiful shine & taste.
Hi AndreaL,
What attachment did you use? I made the frosting in my stand mixer with the plastic paddle attachment and everything separated. The butter part went paler but the chocolate bits were little flecks. I put it all in a saucepan over a very low heat and that brought it all together. Perhaps I should use the whisk attachment next time.
Raj- I used my mixers standard paddle attachment when making the frosting and it worked great. My best guess for yours separating like that was maybe the butter wasn’t soft enough? Make sure it is room temp all the way through it, like no resistance when you put a knife in it and cream it well before adding the rest. Sometimes my kithcen is very cold and if the mixing bowl feels cold I will run a towel under hot water, ring it out and hold it against the bowl to add some warmth.I also sifted the cocoa powder salt and sugar together so there were no clumps of any of it when it went into the butter. Also, when you add the melted chocolate make sure it has cooled off enough to not melt the butter but not so much that it has started to harden, or those bits will stay hard.
Would a VitaMix work?
Congrats on marriage!! And those cupcakes are to die for!!
Congratulations, and wishing you all the best! Pictures?
Congratulations on the wedding, can’t wait to see more! Love the idea of chocolate ganache on top before baking, so much easier than cutting and filling cupcakes after they have cooled. This looks like a serious chocolate cupcake!
Congrats on your marriage! These cupcakes look divine!
Congrats Mrs. CCC! (or is he Mr. BEB?) I’m excited to add this chocolate-chocolate cupcake to my list of BEB cupcake recipes. Thanks. Can’t wait to see wedding photos.
Congrats!!! WE WANT PICTURES!!
These cupcakes look great! Can’t wait to try them!
These look absolutely wonderful!! Chocolate Chocolate is a great combination!
Woot! Congrats to you, Mrs. C.C. Consultant! :)
I LOVE the idea of adding a layer of chocolate ganache to these cupcakes! Actually, who am I kidding? I’d add ganache to just about anything if given the chance! Your piping is gorgeous, by the way <3
Congratulations!! How exciting!
That frosting looks incredible!
Be still my beating heart! If anyone tries this, I’d really like to know if the ganache filling stays soft. Normally it hardens up and I’d love to find one that is soft and creamy.
I don’t even know how to describe my feelings about these cupcakes. That frosting looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I can’t get over it. I want to make it and out it on all the things.
Many congratulations on your wedding! : )
I have this Cooks Illustrated recipe tagged on my (long list) of recipes to try. It sounded amazing but let me tell you, your gorgeous pictures have convinced me to make it much sooner rather than later. They looks absolutely perfect. Thank you!
Congratulations on your wedding!! I truly wish you all the best :) Re. the recipe – I have my birthday coming up soon and this shall be my own present to myself. Thank you so much! Your hubby is really lucy.
Many Congrats on getting Married! Can’t wait for you to share the pics!
These cupcakes look delicious, I am so… gonna make these! I want to make a thank you gift for the Aurora Police Department, Division 1, who found my stolen vehicle. These will be perfect! Thanks!
You always have the bestest recipes ever!
Thank you for sharing! My husband is the world’s biggest chocoholic and I just may have to make these… sooner than later!
Hope your wedding day and honeymoon were as heavenly as these cupcakes look! Congratulations & Best Wishes for a lifetime of happiness!
CONGRATULATIONS ! :)
In your opinion, is this chocolate cake recipe better than the devils food cake recipe you posted previously?
Hi Nicole, I’m not sure which devil’s food cake recipe you’re referring to?
Sorry!! I should have been more clear. I was referring to the dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting :D
Hi… I’m pretty much the new kid on the block here. I’ve only been following your blog for a few months and just wanted to add my congrats to all the others regarding you marriage to someone that obviously love to eat as much as we do. I’m so happy for you.
I also wanted to thank you for ALL the amazing recipes that you send our way. They are awesome. The only problem is I ending up having to borrow from Peter to pay Paul. Lol… I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have been spending so much on ingredients.
Congratulations and thank you.,
Liz
Cara mia, CENT’ANNI!!! Hope your CCC knows he just netted the jackpot! Much happiness, always. As the old Italian blessing goes, “May you grow old on the same pillow.”
Can’t wait to take this one for a spin. But I’ve been starving the last few days because I have to get on the scale at the doctor’s office tomorrow. Ah, the torture of delayed gratification…I want to make them NOW! Picture me tomorrow, breaking the 3-minute mile getting home from the dreaded weigh-in to start baking. Think I’ll even get my mise-en-place ready tonight. Your pictures are always amazing, true visual poetry. I’d assume you use an SLR and a tripod set-up. Is that right? Just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate that your cupcake recipes are scaled down to make just 12. If they made the standard two dozen, I’d be a whale by now!
Congrats on getting married!! These cupcakes look stunning and perfect for any celebration! I love chocolate on chocolate, and these look so decadent!
I think etiquette dictates that I’m supposed to say Best Wishes to you and Congrats to your lucky guy (for “catching” you!). At the risk of Emily Post swooning, I want to say Congrats AND Best Wishes to the both of you for a very long, healthy, and happy life together! And thanks for the push to make these ultimate cupcakes. I’ve had the CI recipe sitting in a pile for too long. Your photos are outstanding and make me want to lick my computer screen.
Congratulations on being married! :D These cupcakes look divine. I’m forever in search of the perfect chocolate cupcake and I’m hoping this is it! I got pretty close with a recipe from a book I have, but I’m not sure they were quite perfect! Love the addition of bread flour in this recipe and I’m intrigued to find out how it adds to these beauties!
Wishing you a lifetime of happiness. This recipe just rocketed to the top of my “Try This” list. Thanks for inspiring the rest of us to get back into the kitchen and try new things.
Congratulations to you and your chief culinary consultant! Can’t wait to see pictures.
Congrats on the wedding!!! (And these cupcakes look fabulous too!)
Michelle,
Huge congratulations to you and your beloved on this really special occasion. Wishing you both lifelong health and happiness Was Einstein at the wedding? I hope we’ll get to see your CCC in a picture with you. Thanks for this recipe…it’s a chocoholic’s dream. Best wishes from a long time reader.
Thank you, Annie! Einstein wasn’t there; it was quite a long drive so he stayed home. We missed him so much!
Congrats on getting married!! SO happy for you! Can’t wait for you to share pictures :) Love the cupcakes
Congrats on your marriage.
I’ve been making this recipe since I saw it on the show a long time ago. It’s the best chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve made or eaten. It’s very intensely chocolate and these come out almost black for me. The batter will be runny and that is normal. The best thing to do is make it in a bowl with a pour spout because you can just pour it into the liners that way. It’s worth it to use coffee in the recipe, as that deepens and enhances the chocolate flavor. Bread flour is critical for the gluten development, no substitutes.
The ganache most likely will sink in some or all of your cupcakes. I have tried with all different amounts of ganache and chilling times and sometimes it sinks, sometimes it doesn’t. The cupcake itself is not too sweet, so you can use a sweeter buttercream if you prefer. I usually make Italian meringue buttercream but for this particular recipe I like to use my whipped buttercream.
These keep very well. I’ve kept them in an airtight container for up to five days and they are just as moist as the day I baked them.
oh wow, those do look amazing!
Congratulations on your wedding!
Congrats on the marriage how exciting!! These cupcakes are gorgeous – perfect job frosting them! I want to dive into one now.
These look absolutely amazing. I feel like the next time I have a reason to bake cupcakes (or maybe just the next time I want chocolate, which might be reason enough) I’ll have to use this recipe.
Chocolate and more chocolate! Doesn’t get much better than that! Can’t wait until my oven is back in and working so I can make these! :)
Best wishes for your wedded bliss!
I am so happy for you, Michelle. I hope you will share some wedding photos with us. I’ve made the Cook’s Illustrated recipe a few times. Sometimes, but not always, I end up with a gap in the middle of the cooked cupcakes where the ganache was. I’m not sure why that happens. So now when I make them, I bake the cupcakes and fill them with the ganache afterwards. Also, I used the chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream for the icing, but your recipe looks amazing!
Hi!! Congrats on the marriage your husband is a lucky man to have you as a wife! I heard another way to make chocolate ganache in a bowl above a pot of boiling water. Can I do that way to?
Hi Arielle, Thank you! You could do it that way, too.
What???? Best wishes to you and your Chief Culinary Consultant, girl! May all your hopes and dreams come true. :) I swear…I already thought you were married? Am I your only reader who thought so? I feel so lost now, LOL! Now, these chocolate-on-chocolate cupcakes? They look amazingly moist and delish…and your frosting looks so glossy, smooth and divine! Cannot wait to try this recipe, Michelle. Thanks so much for sharing! Pinning to group boards everywhere at Pinterest! xo
Congrats on your marriage!!! How exciting! I don’t think anyone would begrudge you that week of post-free marital bliss! These cupcakes look oh-my-god amazing! I am very very picky about my chocolate cupcakes and these look like I need to try them asap! Your pictures are perfection. Seriously.
Hi! I don’t have a food processor. What can I use to make the frosting??
Hi Kate, I think you could use a hand or stand mixer; it might not be as super smooth, but should still work.
Omg this gotta be the moistest chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever seen! Thank you for this recipe I am going to try it tonight!!! :))
These are dream-worthy! Congratulations on your marriage! I cannot wait to hear more.
Congrats on the wedding! And a congrats is in order for coming up with these cupcakes. YUM!
Congratulations…..You’re married!!!!!!!!
….and, I am going to try these cupcakes :o)
These look sinful!!! Can’t wait to try.. but what i really wanted to say is congratulations!! I hope you and your CCC enjoy a long life together full of happiness! You deserve it! I’ve been checking your blog every morning for as long as i can remember and love how down to earth you are and the fact that your recipes include a lot of basic ingredients and nothing too wild and crazy meaning everyone in my family can and do enjoy! I am from PA and it’s cool that you are so close! Maybe one day i’ll be lucky enough to meet you in person. Have a wonderful week!
Is there anything I can substitute for the coffee? I am a young baker and I’m not able to drink coffee ( it’s disappointing ) or is it ok that I leave it out? Congrats on your marriage!
You should use the coffee. There are no substitutes and it will deepen the chocolate flavor. You can’t taste the coffee in the final product. Just deep, dark, chocolatey taste!
Hi Scarlet, I highly encourage you to use the coffee, as it really contributes to the chocolate flavor. If you absolutely have to leave it out, use hot water, but know that the flavor of the cupcake could end up being diluted.
So funny …we had a Bernese Mountain Dog that was a professional “counter surfer” (as we would call him) and nabbed anything edible off the counter! He was the silliest, goofiest dog but he was stealth when it came to getting food off the counter! My son would love to have chocolate cupcakes for his birthday and I want to try this recipe. Just wondering if I could use semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet so it’s not such a deep, dark chocolate flavor?
Dee, with the chemistry in this recipe it’s best to use the bittersweet chocolate. You can pair it with a sweeter buttercream as I suggested above which will balance out the darkness of the cupcake.
Hi Dee, I would not substitute the chocolate in the cupcake recipe, but you can balance that by using milk or semisweet chocolate in the frosting.
Congratulations on your marriage!! I’m so happy for you! :)
Those chocolate cupcakes look incredible!
Can the white vinegar be substituted by lemon juice ?
Hi Tina, I would stick with the white vinegar, I’m not sure what type of impact using lemon juice would have.
Do you have a substitute you could suggest for white vinegar? My son is allergic. Would apple cider vinegar work? What exactly does the vinegar do? Thanks.
Lori, Cider vinegar might work, although I haven’t tried it.
Congrats! I have one question. If I want to bake the batte r as a whole cake, i.e. in a loaf pan, would it work?
Hi Louise, I have not attempted that, so I’m not sure how this recipe would translate into an entire cake. If you try it, feel free to stop back and share your feedback.
Oh my goodness these look amazing. It’s taking all of my will power not to make these right this second. Thank you for sharing!
xx
youngmildandfree.wordpress.com
Congrats on getting married!
I’m new here. Found you while browsing another website. Congratulations to you and your husband. The cupcakes look wonderful! I know my husband will love, love, love these. I’ve been looking for a delicious chocolate on chocolate recipe. I think I’ve found it. Can you send me a link to your famous vanilla cupcake recipe. My email is neceowens1@yahoo.com.
Thanks again and congratulations!
Hi Tiffany, Thank you! Here is the link to the vanilla cupcakes: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/28/vanilla-cupcakes-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while and have tried numerous recipes all of which turn out unbelievably delicious! I tried these cupcakes and they did not disappoint. The cake is so moist and rich in chocolate flavour… absolute perfection. I think I did something wrong with the frosting. I made it in my KA mixer instead of a food processor and may have overbeat it because it seemed like the fat from the butter was separating from the chocolate… any thoughts?
Hi Charu, I have not made the frosting with a mixer, but it’s possible that it could have been over-beat.
Hi Charu,
the same thing happened to me. I put it in a saucepan over a low heat and everything combined again. Then I put it in the fridge overnight to cool down and decorated the cakes the next morning.
Can I use chocolate chips instead?
Chocolate chips will melt just like regular chocolate, you just might have to stir them more. I think the first time I made these I used Ghirardelli chips.
Hi Scarlet, Yes, I don’t see any reason why not.
My first thought was yeah, how selfish of you to go off and get married and not post recipes–before I realized you’d originally planned to! ;) Congratulations and wishing you many years of wedded bliss.
As much as I love all the other fun flavored cupcakes, NOTHING beats a chocolate cupcake! These look gorgeous!
Congratulation on the marriage, so pleased for you!
Also, I found when I baked these the ganache seemed to explode a little and ruin the appearance of the cupcake, don’t suppose you could shed any light onto how i would stop this from happening? perhaps I put a little too much in?
Thank you, Mary! As for your ganache filling, I’m not sure why that would have happened, unless it was left in the refrigerator for too long. Did you happen to chill it far in advance? That might be the culprit.
These cupcakes look AMAZING!!! and congrats on getting married!!! I’m currently in wedding planning mode now myself – 10 months to go…
What type of chocolate did you use in the
Frosting? Looks yummy!
Hi Kristiina, I used semisweet chocolate :)
I can’t find Dutch-processed cocoa powered any where in my town :( boo
All I find is unsweetened cocoa powered or natural unsweetened?
Could I use Hersey brand instead of the Dutch?
Hi Sienna, In a pinch, you can substitute in this recipe, but I highly recommend investing in some Dutch-process cocoa powder if you bake with chocolate often. You can order it from many places, including Amazon, King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, etc.
nothing like a classic chocolate cupcake!
Congratulations first of all! And these cupcakes look divine, especially that frosting!
Was looking for nice blog site. It was very useful for me. Keep sharing these kinds of ideas in the future as well. It was actually a few things i was looking for, that i’m glad in order to came right here! Thanks for revealing the similarly info with us
These decadent, super chocolaty cupcakes make me drool. I couldn’t resist, so I’ve featured them on my blog, hoping that you don’t mind, but if you do, please contact me and I’ll remove it. All the best.
First – congrats!
Second – oh my goodness, I cannot wait to make these and eat every single one! Really, they look extremely delicious!
I don’t have a food processor and was wondering how long I should beat the frosting with the hand batter.
Hi Scarlet, I haven’t made the frosting with a hand mixer, so I can’t say for sure, but I would mix until completely combined and shiny.
I made these today and my husband and I nearly passed out from the richness.
Thanks for sharing!
-andi
Congratulations. What a great way to celebrate. That chocolate frosting looks soo silky and decadent
Oh and since I’m using it should i out in more butter?
Hi Scarlet, No, I would not add any more butter.
What type of food processor do you have Michelle? What type of food processors are good for frosting? I’m trying o buy one now no more then $80 which I hope is durable. Congrats on your marriage!
Hi Madison, I have a Breville Sous Chef food processor (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005I6ZKCE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005I6ZKCE&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20), which is more than your price range. I don’t think there are any specific ones you need for frosting; this is only the second frosting I’ve made in a food processor. Happy shopping!
I’m also looking on eBay for one…. Would a 4 cup be good or maybe a 7 cup I plan on making a lot of cupcakes for a party so I’m thinking this may be more quick.
Hi Madison, I’ve never made cake batter in a food processor, but if you are choosing between a 4-cup and 7-cup, I would definitely recommend the 7-cup. You’ll have a lot more flexibility in what you can make in it.
I plan on making these cupcakes next weekend, but I have one question first. What type of chocolate did you use for the frosting? I know the recipe lists milk, semisweet, or dark, but I would love to hear which one you choose to use. These cupcakes look delicious and I can’t wait to make them!
Hi Kelsey, I used the semisweet chocolate :) Enjoy!
Congratulations on your marriage. it is so wonderful to see people in love. In Australia corn syrup is not that easy to come by, can you suggest any substitutes?
Thank you
Thank you, Raj! You can use Lyle’s golden syrup if that’s available to you.
Hi Michelle,
I just made those fabulous cupcakes and wanna THANK YOU sooo much for this amazing recipe! Especially the ganache filling, it adds a very special moist to the cupcakes:) I just have one question, I made the frosting with dark chocolate, and it did taste good, but too greasy (buttery) that made it heavy, and it’s soft (doesn’t stand firmly), I wanna make those again in the coming few days as I have a friends gathering, shall I reduce the butter (to the half) with keeping the same other ingredients? Would that work, or what else can I do? Thanks a lot <3
Once again, THANKS for the AMAZING yummy recipe, It's soo sweet of you to post that right after your wedding, CONGRATULATIONS…:) Wish you a lifetime of happiness <3
Hi Ala’s, Thank you for the best wishes! As for the frosting – this is definitely more of a European buttercream (which tends to be more buttery) vs. an American buttercream (which tends to be more sugary and stiffer). Unfortunately, you won’t be able to reduce the butter and not alter the other ingredients and still have a workable frosting. If you like a stiffer, less buttery frosting, I would recommend trying more of an “American-style” buttercream: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/22/best-chocolate-buttercream-cupcakes/
Thank you so much Michelle :)
Is there anything I can substitute for white vinegar? Congrats on your marriage!
Hi Maddie, Nothing in particular I can think of; I recommend using the white vinegar as called for.
CONGRATS!!
I am new to the whole baking from scratch thing so I have a couple of questions.
What the heck is a Ganache Filling?? haha and Where would I find bittersweet chocolate and Dutch processed coacoa?
It would mean a lot to me if you answered ASAP :D
Hi Victoria, Ganache is a soft chocolate mixture that is typically made from melted chocolate and heavy cream; it can be used as a cake filling, to pour over a top, as a truffle filling, cupcake filling, etc. You should be able to find bittersweet chocolate in virtually any grocery store in the baking aisle. If I go to my “small” grocery store, I buy the Ghiradelli 60% cacao bars (they are 4 ounces each). In the larger grocery store near me, they actually Callebaut in 1-pound blocks in the bulk section. Dutch process cocoa can be a little more difficult to find. I buy mine from Penzeys; you can also order it from a bunch of different places, including King Arthur Flour or Amazon.com.
Nevermind! Thanks!
Congratulations on getting married! So happy for you :). These cupcakes make me really sad I can’t eat chocolate.
It was that time of the month for my daughter and I. These cupcakes were awesome and our family is enjoying our chocolate coma. My husband managed to steal the first one and said it was the best cupcake he ever ate! Thanks!
Congratulations!!! These cupcakes look delicious!
That photo looks amazing! Do you have any idea why CI used bread flour in this recipe? I think of it as having more protein and gluten and seems like it might make them tough. I’ve got some nice organic bread flour that I’m planningn on using but just wondered if you might have some insight on the “why”. Congrats on the wedding too — this must be a very smart man!
Hi Nancy, Per CI, the bread flour was used to make the cupcakes sturdy, but not tough, and allow more chocolate to be added (including the ganache center) without the cupcakes falling apart.
Thank you, Michelle! I knew that CI would have a well thought out, investigated and tested reason for specifying something like that. And I’m all for it if it means MORE CHOCOLATE!
Hi, I am a newbie in baking and discovered your blog a few weeks ago. Since then I have tried The Baked Brownie and loved , loved those. :) Next on my list are these cupcakes.. they look so so delicious . I love to eat what I bake but sadly I must also cut down my calorie intake. I realize the frosting compliment the cakes but is it a must? I think the cakes alone would be fabulous already. Please reply. I really really love to make those very soon.
Hi Mra, I personally could never eat a cupcake without frosting, but I suppose that’s a personal preference. This frosting is amazing and I, of course, highly recommend it, but if you’d prefer to make them without it, that’s certainly up to you!
Hi, thanks a lot for your reply . I got it though email but somehow does not appear here yet. I live in Singapore and on my last visit to the supermarket, I could not find the light corn syrup. They may either be out of stock or do not carry it. In any case, can I substitute it with sugar syrup ( 1 cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 warm water ) or honey as a website suggested?
Came across this recipe a few days ago and can’t believe how many comments you’ve gotten since then! Made these to the letter and they are to-die-for delicious! You could seriously give the two local cupcake shops in my town a run for the money. Goes to show you, nothing beats getting in there and baking with lots of love and hungry ambition! Can’t wait til you post the next devilishly delicious dessert. As always, my vote is for chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.
Hi – i made these last night and everyone said they were delicious – just wanted to know if the frosting can be put in freezer to be used after 4 days?
Also made red velvet – frosting was nice but could feel the powdered sugar – it did not seem to blend – what might have gone wrong.
By the way congrats for wedding – Wishing you a long and fruitful marriage :) !!!
All the best from island of Aphrodite (CYPRUS)
I have never frozen frosting, as I’m not sure how the texture would hold up to freezing and thawing. If you try it, please let me know how well it thaws.
Made these last night and wish I could express my love for this cupcake in words. Decadence is an understatement. They were incredible. The ganache adds a nice pop to the already delicious chocolately goodness. I posted earlier in the comments that I used a stand mixer as I don’t have a processor. I just creamed the butter for a few minutes before adding the dry ingredients and then the wet. Frosting came out almost as beautiful as the picture.
If I wanted to make these cupcakes but only 6 of them how would I convert it?
Hi Maddie, You would need to cut the recipe in half, however I have not tried it and not all recipes scale well, so please stop back and share your feedback if you give it a go!
These turned out great!
Oh my goodness, tried these last night and they are absolutely delicious. I’ve tried SO many chocolate cake recipes in the past and nothing has ever met my expectations, but these surpassed everything I thought they would be. The ganache not only made the cake stay moist, at 15 minutes in the oven it also floated down and became this beautiful soft fondant centre. Yum!
For everyone (especially other British folk) who’s not sure about using bread flour and white vinegar (I just used a standard white malt vinegar from the supermarket – you can’t taste it) my advice is to not worry about it. Just trust the recipe!
Did anyone else have a problem with the ganache sort of erupting out of the cupcakes? It seemed to kind of bubble over and leave a hole in the center. The frosting will camouflage this, but what happened?
What do you use to frost your cupcakes with? Do you have a certain tip that you always use? Or special technique? Thanks!
Hi Betsy, For these, I used an Ateco decorating tip (#823) – it’s a large open star. I tend to like the stars for cupcakes, as they give kind of a swirly ice cream cone look, which I love. I just sort of swirl the icing on top!
Hi, I made these cupcakes yesterday and they turned out amazing! I thought my frosting was a little soft and didn’t look as nice as yours. Is there anyway to stiffen it up so that the icing will stay swirled on top of the cupcake? Thanks!
Hi Dianne, I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I will say, I thought the frosting was softer than I’m typically used to and didn’t think it would sit up on the cupcakes, but it did just fine. Did you try it? The humidity and heat levels in the kitchen can also affect how soft the frosting is. You could always try adding more powdered sugar, but I wouldn’t add a ton, as you’ll lose that soft-as-silk texture.
I’m looking to make a fabulous chocolate cake that is very moist. Can this cupcake recipe be used to make a layered chocolate cake, too?
Hi Toni, I have not tried to convert this cupcake recipe to a layer cake, so unfortunately I’m not sure how well it would work.
Thank you so much for responding, Michelle. Unless someone can recommend this recipe as a layer cake, I will make a different one for the special granddaughter’s birthday celebration. I would love to hear from anyone if this cupcake recipe works for a cake. It looks so delicious!
I made these without the ganache and used a stand mixer instead of a food processor for the frosting. They came out GREAT! Rave reviews! I used the leftover frosting on yellow cake cupcakes. The frosting tastes like melted chocolate ice cream.
These are absolutely the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made! And the frosting is the perfect compliment! Both are super chocolatey and decadent! Thanks for sharing!
Hi ….
I have a question while making my frosting everything was fine till I added the melted chocolate it became like a paste
Do you know what could be the problem ?
Thanks…..
Hi Waad, Did you add enough corn syrup? Also, did you happen to overheat the chocolate? Overheated chocolate can become stiff and paste-like.
These cupcakes are positively superlative – even without the ganache filling! Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
Well, I came here because I googled best chocolate cupcake recipe and it brought me to this post! I was actually setting out to make a chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting. I already had your frosting recipe though! I made the chocolate cupcake with it last time, but something made me come back and search again. So, I went for it. Every single ingredient. Anytime a recipe has called for coffee, I’ve omitted it. But not this time! This did not disappoint!!!! I must say, great recipe. I took these and some vanilla with toasted coconut cupcakes to my husbands store for his birthday. I’m sure they flew by the time we were sitting down to dinner!! Just wanted to say great recipe. I made the cupcakes yesterday and the frosting today and it worked great.
I made these exactly as stated with one small exception I used a hand mixer for the frosting. They turned out exceptionally moist, super chocolaty, and yummy delicious. I will be making these again, and again, and again…A++++ in my cupcake book.
H Jenny,
could you please tell me how you used a hand mixer for the frosting? How did you incorporate the chocolate?
Is there anyway I can use milk instead of cream for the gnache?
Hi Lynn, No, you need the cream or else the ganache will not properly thicken.
Hi Michelle,
I made these yesterday and oh my goodness they were divine. It is beginning to get very hot here in Australia and I would like to know if you have a technique to stop frosting from going very soft (is that a stupid question)? I took these into work at 8.30 and by 11.00 the frosting was very soft. It still retained it’s shape, more or less but definitely very melty and soft. Would love some advice from you or anyone.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Raj, If it’s very hot where you live, the only solution is to probably refrigerate the cupcakes. Enjoy!
I just made this frosting today and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been hunting for this frosting for over a year now: sweet and chocolatey, shiny and pipeable. I had something like it on a supermarket bakery cake and tried to find it online, or by asking friends, but no one seemed to understand me. Thank you!
This was an amazing recipe! I used normal flour and it turned out fine. I didn’t even frost them and they were still so moist and delicious! I had one problem though – the ganache filling kind of sank down and settled at the bottom, so it was kind of gooey and stuck to the paper in the centre. Is there any way to fix that?
Hi Chelsea, When I scooped the ganache, it was quite soft and I just scooped it and gently laid it onto the center. If the ganache had hardened too much, it could cause it to sink. If that’s the case, you may not want to refrigerate it for quite as long. How a refrigerator chills things can be based on a number of factors, such as the temperature it is set at and how full it is.
These are amazing. I stumbled onto your blog via a google search looking for incredibly chocolate-y cupcakes as requested for my son’s birthday party. These cupcakes were so popular and SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!!!! He has already told me he wants them again next year, but I’m not sure we can wait that long before having them again.
hello is the white vingear the same as white wine vingear i live in the uk and im abit confused?
No, they are different. White vinegar is sometimes also referred to as “distilled” vinegar.
Hi! Have made these twice. First time I halved the recipe just to experiment with just 6. Second time I made the full batch. In both cases, the cupcakes were awesome and I didn’t even put frosting or the ganache filling. Amazing! However, the cupcake liners were oily. Mostly on the bottom. Is that normal?
Hi Letty, I don’t recall mine being oily. However, cupcake liners are all made a little differently and from different material, so some may trap fat more than others.
Michelle,
Thanks! It really does not affect the cupcake itself. After they are completely cooled, the oiliness goes away. They are totally fine. Love love this recipe. Thank you.
Made these babies last night and I was swept off my feet! They were just divine- decadent, moist and the frosting was the best I’ve tried. And yes, don’t skip the ganache filling! Ever ate something where it’s soo damn good your eyes roll and only the whites show? I was like that when I took the first bite. Thank for sharing your recipe. Definitely a keeper and will be making these a lot. (I don’t have a food processor so I used my stand mixer. Frosting wasn’t a glossy-looking as yours but totally smooth & silky and very pipe-able.)
Q: If I’ll bake a cake out of this recipe, say on a 9 inch double round pan, what’ll be the appropriate measurements and cooking time for the cake? Thank you, Michelle.
Hi Aimee, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! To make a two-layer 9-inch cake, you’ll need to double the recipe. The cooking time will be increased, but I don’t have an exact number, as I haven’t tried this as a cake.
I made these for my 8 year-old grandson’s birthday. Amazing, fantastic, best ever. Wow! I was skeptical about the coffee and about the corn syrup, but made the recipe pretty much as directed anyway, using bittersweet Ghiradelli chips in the ganache and cake batter, melted Hershey kisses in the frosting. Great, great, great. Of course I had to top a few with sprinkles for the kids, but how bad can that be. Thank you.
OH MY…these look so decadent and rich!! I am making these tonight..Love love your site..I have tried several of your recipes and they have been added into one of our favorites..Thank You for providing us with such a lovely site :-)
This is great .. I love your recipes and I’ve been waiting for a good Chocalate cupcake recipe from you. Can’t wait to make them .. also Congratulations !!
OMG these are AMAZING, seriously soooo good. I was pretty liberal with the frosting and there was a bit left – any suggestions to use other than with a spoon or pretzels? :) For some of the cupcakes I gave a sprink of salt on top for a salty/sweet bite.
can I frost a cake with this frosting?
I don’t see why not!
HI!! I can’t find bread flour anywhere. Can i use a different flour instead?
Thank you!
Hi Sharon, You can substitute all-purpose flour, but the filling might sink. Although, some readers have reported good results with all-purpose flour.
If I am tripling the cupcake recipe, safe to triple all the ingredients exactly or should some of them be decreased? Thanks
Hi Sarah, Unfortunately, I have not done this, so I can’t give you 100% certainty. Please let me know how the scaling goes, though!
Hi,
I would like to ask if there’s any substitute for the coffee as I would like my boys to eat this cupcake without the caffeine. In addition, can I use self raising flour instead of bread flour?
Thank you!
Hi Suzanne, I really do recommend using the coffee as it boosts the chocolate flavor and gives it extra depth. If you’re concerned about caffeine, then I would use decaf coffee. Definitely do not use self-raising flour.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your advice! Am trying the original recipe now..they’re baking in the oven!!! And yes, I’ll try looking for decaf coffee!!
Thank you so much!! :)
I tried these cupcakes without the ganache and substituted the bread flour with all purpose flour and they turned out AMAZING. Super chocolatey, tender, moist (yet not too wet and dense), and just a really soft light cake!!!! I tried them another time with bread flour and they came out with more bite (which is great) and somehow fudgier?? LOVE THE RECIPE ANYWAY THANK YOU SO MUCH BROWNEYEDBAKER!!!!!!! This is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe, and so so simple!!
I only have access to white wine vinegar, not regular white vinegar. Is it possible to use white wine vinegar or lemon as a substitute? Aiming to make these for my son’s birthday party. Thank you. Lori
Hi Lori, I’m honestly not sure what type of effect using white wine vinegar would have, if any. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
These are fabulous cupcakes. I was skeptical: it was the thinnest cake batter I’ve ever encountered (I usually spoon or scoop batter, but for these I had to transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup and pour them into the tins). But they came out nicely domed and have a rich, grown-up chocolatey taste. If you bake in mini tins, like I almost always do, be sure to use a liner or skip the ganache step.
I made these cupcakes this morning sans the ganache, they are heavenly, the frosting is perfection. Because of bread flour is too pricey in my area, I made these cupcakes with the flour containing the highest percentage of gluten I could find at the supermarket (11%, it was not labeled as bread flour), they turned out great, I got 12 cupcakes plus a mini cake I baked in a coffee mug. I didn’t want to turn on the coffee maker so I added 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to the chocolate bowl and then added hot water, mixed and refrigerated as in the recipe. Now I’ll just wait for my daughter to come from school and make her jaw drop with these delicacies!!
Thank you so much for this cupcakes recipe. It is super easy to make yet very delicious. It was a big HIT. Not to say the icing, very delish and very easy to make as well and it holds up well, easy to pipe!!. Once again thank you so much for this recipe. It will be my choc cupcakes recipe from now on.
Whoa! This sounds like a brilliant recipe Michelle.
I’m from the UK and everything’s in Kg or Grams, would it be the same conversion for every measure or does it differ based on the ingredient?
Help!
Really want to make this.
Beans
Unfortunately, it varies based on ingredient. You could use this chart as a starting point for conversion, then take it from ounces to grams: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
Thankyou! Think I might attempt this at the weekend. Your recipes are all amazing btw!!!
Hi there, just wanted to drop you a quick line to say how much I am loving your recipes, especially the cupcakes! Have made your lemon limoncello and vanilla cupcakes which received rave reviews!
Was just salivating over these choc cupcakes and thinking I must try them soon, when I noticed I think it’s one of your pics used on the kitchenware direct facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152282064311521&set=a.10151129747731521.536357.223314416520&type=1&relevant_count=1
You may already be aware but just wanted to let you know in case you’re not because I think you definitely deserve the credit for it!
Look forward to trying more of your great recipes in future. :)
My daughter made thes, at 11 years old. We made them, with gluten free baking mix, but otherwise followed the recipe and boy were they beyond delish. Just the right consistency in the cake, and the ganache in the center was a lovely addition. She shared them with our friends, and has been commissioned to make some more for them, as they have to eat gluten free…and rarely get such a delicious dessert. Well done!
Why do you cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack, instead of removing them immediately from the pan once you take them out from the oven?
I haven’t made the cupcakes yet, but I did make the frosting tonight to top my own cupcakes. This is the BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING EVER!
OMG — I love these. I just made them. This frosting is beyond excellent. I’m wondering if there is a vanilla version of the frosting? Could you use white chocolate? I just love the texture …. any ideas? Thanks!!
Hi Dee, I don’t know of a vanilla or white chocolate version, but I think you could do the same w/white chocolate!
Has anyone doubled or tripled this recipe? Michelle, have you? Just wondering if there are leavening adjustments. I need them tomorrow so if I don’t hear back, I’ll make them in separate batches.
I have never doubled or tripled this recipe. I might be late on the response, but you do so, please let me know how it goes!
Did you try doubling the recipe? How did it go? I am wondering the same thing!
HI Michelle,
your cupcakes look amazing, and i cant wait to try them, though i was wondering whether i could use normal cocoa powder other than dutch processes or would this affect the cupcakes?
Hi Summer, I really do recommend Dutch-process cocoa. Unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch process cocoa powder each react differently with baking powder and baking soda.
I normally use the Hershey cocoa powder and it works fine so I think you will okay.
(I tried these cupcake and they were divine! Thank you so much for posting this Michelle. I’m a really big fan of yours!)
what can be the substitute for coffee? Thanks!:)
Hi Jel, I don’t recommend a substitute, because coffee can be so instrumental in developing chocolate flavors. You cannot taste the coffee.
can i use decaf? another question.i will make the cupcakes today with the frosting and just store it in a room temperature ..would it still be ok for tomorrow? or refrigerate it? or pur the frosting tomorrow? ill make cupcakes for my nephew’s bday party with your recipe.
Hi Jel, Yes, you could use decaf. You can store them at room temperature without a problem.
Hi
Just wondering can I leave the coffee out, I hate coffee!
Thanks!
Hi Jade, I’m not a coffee drinker myself, but I urge you to use it. You can’t taste it at all, but it really helps to develop the chocolate flavor.
Did what you said and you was right! Couldn’t taste the coffee at all, amazing cupcake! Thank you for sharing
Made these today! One word AMAZING!!! Best cupcakes ever!
Really dumb questions here….I’m making just the frosting portion of this recipe, but need enough for 24 cupcakes. Do I need to double the recipe?
Also, can frosting be made with a hand mixer?
Hi Helen, Not a dumb question! Yes, you can double this for 24 cupcakes. While I have not used a hand mixer for this recipe, some other readers have commented that they have used mixers and some have had success, while others said the texture wasn’t quite the same.
I use an electric mixer for almost every recipe on here. Though when you say to whisk I just use the whisk attachment.
Hi Michelle,
I made a double of this recipe as well as a half portion. The cupcakes were delicious–very moist and with a great chocolate taste (I opted for the ganache filling). The only issue was that the ganache seemed to sink and many of the cupcakes didn’t hold up to the filling; when I pulled them out of the oven, or within a few minutes of cooling, many of them had large indentations in the center where the ganache was placed. Do you know why? I used the bread flour as the recipe called for. Was the ganache too cold?
Hi Vanessa, It’s possible that the ganache got too cold, which caused it to be too heavy and sink. Was it hard when you added it to the cupcakes? It should be very soft and just scoopable.
Hi Michelle, I guess it was too cold; when I made a second batch with leftover ganache, I didn’t refrigerate the ganache and those cupcakes didn’t seem to indent as much (although I still had some of that). I’ll just have to try again! They were delicious regardless.
Hi,
How do you do that 3/4 cup coffee? Do you mean I will. Measure 3/4cup hot water then put coffee? Please give me detailed instruction, i am new to baking. Thanks.
Hi Rna, Simply brew coffee has you normally would, then measure out ¾ cup (6 ounces) of the coffee.
So I tried this out yesterday. I was initially worried because the batter was so runny, but the cupcakes were great! But reaaaallly bitter. I made super-strength coffee apparently. *winces* I’d put in loads of extra sugar of course, but still. I also may have licked leftover ganache from the pot. Please don’t judge me. AND I messed up the frosting by not noticing that you wrote “melt and cool chocolate.” Instead, I took chopped chocolate, dumped it in my mixture, and assumed that my electric mixer would magically puree the chocolate with the butter. This was not a good idea. I placed my frosting bowl in the still-warm oven to try to fix it, but it wasn’t a complete fix, and while piping the frosting, a lump of chocolate got stuck in my piping bag and made a big mess, sigh. I’m a novice baker as you can imagine from the constant mishaps. BUT the end result, despite ugly frosting, was omg so delicious that I want to set up an altar and worship you. OMG. Thank you so much for existing and making this recipe and sharing it! You rock!
My batter was really runny and soupy, but when they came out of the oven they were moist and delicious. Especially when I bit in and there was a ganache surprise in the center! I have to say though this frosting was so rich, when I ate my cupcake I had to pick most of the frosting off.
I made these today and they have got to be the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever baked!!. When my end results turn out like this, I get the incentive to keep baking :). I didn’t have dutch processed chocolate so I used Nestle Toll House cocoa powder, and used honey instead of corn syrup in the frosting. I plan to make this again and use all the ingredients as listed though.
Thanks so much for the recipe, so far I’ve made this and the Margarita cupcakes and loved them both.
These were AWESOME! I made all of it (except we used a vanilla buttercream frosting so that we could decorate them with different colors for my 7 year-old’s birthday. My husband said that these were the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. They were very yummy and had a nice kick (a caffeine kick that is. Next time we’ll do the chocolate frosting too.
Delicious recipe~ Thank you!! The frosting is perfect for the rich, chocolate cupcakes. I used milk chocolate in my frosting, and it was soooo good!!
PS~ I love your recipes!!!
Hi! I love your blog, and the recipes are amazing. I’m making chocolate cupcakes for my parent’s anniversary next week. (I’m a teen), and this seemed like the perfect recipe. I just have one question. The 3/4 cup of hot coffee. Will it make a difference if it’s not used. If it will, is there a good substitute? And when the recipe says hot coffee, it is with or without milk? And what brand did you use? Sorry for all the questions. I just want these to be perfect. I hope you see this. I’ve been baking from scratch since I was 9, but this is the first time I’m making cupcakes with coffee. Any other tips would be helpful from an experienced baker like you. Again, I really want to impress my parents and make it special for them. I really hope you see this and read this. Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into the blog. It’s very helpful :)
Hi Sanika, How nice of you! I do highly recommend using the coffee, as it makes the chocolate flavor really burst. The only substitute to keep the texture the same would be hot water, but it that would dilute the flavor of the chocolate. It should be without milk, just straight coffee. We have a Keurig so I just brewed what we keep in the house (Millstone Breakfast Blend). You could always just grab a cup from Starbucks or something and bring it home and heat it up! Enjoy the cupcakes :)
Thank you sooooo much! This was very helpful.
You need to copyright your images. This FB page is using your images as a cupcake made using their products.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=464343937005440&set=pb.347854228654412.-2207520000.1390053610.&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-frc1%2Ft1%2F1003801_464343937005440_732010545_n.jpg&size=600%2C400
Hi Michelle, it’s quite hot where I live and I’m a bit concerned about how the frosting would hold up when transporting (roughly 1.5 hours without refrigeration on all sorts of bumpy rides). Would you recommend substituting your ‘Best Chocolate Buttercream for Cupcakes’ recipe? I saw in another comment that it is somewhat more ‘stiff’. Thanks for this lovely recipe!
Hi Lisa, I do looooooove this frosting so much, I feel like it makes the cupcakes. However, if you’re concerned about the heat, then yes, the other frosting is stiffer. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to try these with the frosting another time!
These look beautiful!! Any way to substitute the heavy cream in the ganache for a nondairy ingredient as I am allergic to dairy? Thanks!
Hi Bina, Unfortunately, I’m not aware of another suitable substitute for the cream.
Thank you for sharing this amazing chocolate cupcake recipe. I’ve yet to try it with the frosting and ganache but the cupcakes themselves were gorgeous
What is the size of your cupcake liners – 3oz? What is the size of your scoop or how much batter should I put to make the cupcakes rise well? Thank you! :)
Hi Cielo, I just buy the paper liners from the grocery store – they don’t have a size on them, they just say “standard size liners”. You should divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups.
hey! could i skip the corn syrup or substitute it with something else?
thanks!
Hi Demi, The corn syrup helps give the frosting a smooth texture and shiny appearance. It might be fine without it, but I haven’t omitted it, so I can’t guarantee what the results would be.
Congratulations! These look amazing! Is there anything I can use instead of light corn syrup- I’m making these in Spain and can’t find it anywhere. Also, your gooey butter cake recipe was a huge hit here!
Hi Alyssa, Can you get Lyle’s golden syrup? If so, I would use that. So happy to hear the gooey butter cake was a hit! :)
Hmm…I can’t find golden syrup either. I’ll have to try honey or sugar dissolved in water.
These look absolutely amazing! I was just wondering whether you use black coffee for this recipe or regular coffee(with milk). Thanks so much!
Hi Soumiya, You should use black coffee. Enjoy!
Can i use a hand mixer to make the frosting? i don’t have a food processor. thanks. :-)
Hi Tess, I have not tried it, but a few others have used a mixer instead of a food processor and said the frosting still turned out okay, maybe just not as satiny smooth. Enjoy the cupcakes!
thanks. i love your website, i have learned so much from you. :-)
How does this recipe fare if I want to double it?
Hi Christine, I have not tried doubling this recipe, but some other readers have reported that they have done it with success. Enjoy!
BTW- I made these for a baking demo I did at work a few years ago and they were even better THE NEXT DAY! THe moistest cupcake I have ever had! I was also able to successfully convert this recipe to GF for a start-up GF wholesale bakery I was running till last summer. Still an amazing cupcake!
I must have done something wrong…. the coffee overpowered the whole cupcake. They don’t taste BAD, but more like a mocha latte than a chocolate cupcake. Any tips? Can I use less coffee? The texture and the ganache were AMAZING!!
Hi Katii, That’s so strange, you definitely shouldn’t taste the coffee at all. I would not recommend using less, as it will impact the texture of the cupcakes. I don’t know what kind of coffee you used, but perhaps try one that’s less strong/more of a mild flavor?
How many calories in each cupcake?
Hi Noah, I have no idea; I do not calculate the nutritional values of recipes.
hey,
This recipe was simply fantastic…yes it was a lil fussy compared to my usual recipes but the result was to die for… thanks again..
I tried this recipe. It was a hit !!! Thank you so much !! I have one question though. If I want to double the recipe and bake in a 9 inch pan. At what temp and how long do I have to bake it? I tried 2 time. First time, it was obviously undercooked. Second time, it seemed like I overbaked it.
Hi Chanika, Some cupcake recipes do not easily translate to being baked as a cake. I have not tried converting this one, so unfortunately, I don’t have a time/temperature to recommend. I will say that if you are using a 9″ pan, you should not be doubling the recipe. If you were to bake it in a 9×13-inch pan, you would want to double it.
Hi
Can I use this cupcake recipe but have peanut butter frosting as the cake recipe for peanut butter frosting has sour cream which I can’t get easily.
Thank you
Hi Fatema, Sure, you could top these with peanut butter frosting, go for it! Delicious!
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. May I know if the frosting is stable enough to hold its shape for an extended period and if it will stand a bit of warm weather? Thanks in advance for answering.
Cheers~
Hi Elaine, I’m not sure what “warm” means to you, i.e. 70 degrees? 90 degrees? At room temperature (68-72 degrees), the frosting will keep its shape just fine for days. Warmer than that, and it might get soft.
Thanks for replying!!! I know this is a little much to ask, but would you be able to give us your recipe equivalent in metric? I kept weighing the ingredients after using cup measures so I can note them down for consistency and I could never get them to weigh the same…~(*+﹏+*)~
hi, i just came across your site a few days back. must say ;the cupcakes section seems very interesting. i just have one question; if i substitute apple butter with apple sauce would my end result be fine or do i need to use butter for a soft & fluffy end result.
thanks
Im wondering if the coffee taste comes out in the cupcake. I despise the taste and even the smell of coffee and scared to add it to the recipie. I would be making these cupcakesfor a kids birthday party.
Hi Tracy, I am not a coffee drinker either, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that you cannot taste the coffee. Coffee (and powdered espresso) are used in a large number of chocolate recipes because they help to enhance the chocolate flavor.
These cupcakes are cooling on my counter and the frosting is partly made as I type- And let me say, after extensive (Necessary of course….) tasting of the batter & ganache… they are DECADENT. Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe!
I have been searching for the perfect chocolate frosting recipe. So many have too much of a cocoa taste or are too sweet. This frosting recipe is PERFECT! Perfect balance of sweet and chocolate! Yumm!
Hi! I have tried a few of your recipes and they are simply amazing! I just don’t go wrong with them and everyone really really loves them. An urgent question though: I need to bake 25 cupcakes for my son’s class. How do I multiply the ingredients? What all ingredients do I multiply? If you could answer these questions, it will be great. Otherwise, I might just make the batter twice over and go ahead.
Thanks.
Hi Pearl mas, I haven’t doubled this recipe yet, but I’ve heard from some folks who have and had success. You would just double everything, however, that will only make you 24 cupcakes, so you may need to triple the batch (and have some leftover) if you need exactly 25.
Thanks for such a quick reply. Although I am apprehensive about doubling baking soda, I will still try doubling everything. Thanks again.
Hey Michelle,
Just to let you know, I doubled everything in the recipe and was able to make 20 large cupcakes. They turned out really great (I gave all away and could not taste at all, so I don’t know myself, but everyone loved it and asked for second helping). Thanks again for the wonderful recipe. Btw, I omitted ganache and frosting.
can i ask what kind of packaging do you use for your cupcakes?
Hi Amanda, I’m not sure what you’re referring to by packaging? If you mean the paper liners, then I just buy the white ones from the grocery store.
As soon as I saw these I had to make them. Lucky for me Valentine’s Day was around the corner so I decided to make them as a special dessert for my family (well, mostly me). They came out perfect and looked just like the picture and they tasted even better! I love love love chocolate and you have to love it to love these cupcakes. It it almost like a giant chocolate truffle :) the icing is the best I have ever tasted (I used dark chocolate, did not want the icing to be too sweet). Don’t wonder if you should make these just do it! oh and please make the ganache its worth it!
Hi Michelle,
Q1: Instead of the heavy cream in the ganache, could I use plain or greek yogurt?
Q2: Instead of powdered sugar in the ganache and frosting, could I use honey or agave and a little cornstarch (i.e. for the anti-caking agent)?
Thanks for the help!
Angie
Hi Angie, I would definitely not recommend either of these substitutions. The ganache will not set up and the texture of the frosting would be much, much too soft.
I asked you in January about a substitute for heavy cream. For future reference, I used Rich’s whipped topping and they came out outstanding!!!! This recipe is a gem! So sophisticated, not too sweet, and the corn syrup gave the frosting a beautiful gloss and texture. Thanks, this recipe is a real keeper!
These look so gorgeous. I was skimming over the recipe, though, and noticed that it calls for both Dutch-processed cocoa powder and baking soda. Recently, I read on several websites that Dutch-processed cocoa is best used with baking powder (while natural, non-alkalized cocoa is used with baking soda). Anyway, I will try making these without changing anything, as I’m sure they’ll turn out wonderfully regardless.
Hi Monica, You are correct, however, this recipe includes vinegar, which is used to activate the baking soda. Enjoy the cupcakes!
I made these using ordinary cocoa instead of the one mentioned above. My cupcakes had a soapy aftertaste (meaning a bit alkaline) should I drop out vinegar? Or else what should I do because we don’t get Dutch-proccessed cocoa here?
Plz answer soon, I want to make them again due to the moist-y softness and dense chocolate flavor.
Pakistan
Hi Ana, If you cannot order Dutch processed cocoa and are going to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, then I would omit the vinegar, as that is used to activate the baking soda in conjunction with the Dutch-processed cocoa.
Also I used regular plain flour due to unavailability of bread flour in Pakistan.
Hello Michelle,
I have found your website a week ago and think this is my BEST baking website ever!! All photos looks so yum!! I have some questions for you. The recipe for cupcake says “whisk” not “beat”. Do you use stand mixer and wire whisk attachment or use a hand whisk? Do you whip them like when you beat egg white or just mix on low speed???
Thanks:)
Hi Kake, Thank you, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site! For each instance in the recipe where it says “whisk” you simply use a hand whisk.
Thanks for a quick reply..I will use a hand whisk and let you know how it turns out .
Have just stumbled across your website in search for the perfect chocolate cupcake, and oh my lordy is this a good cupcake! I made these last night, and I think this is hands down a winner. The recipe does require a lot more work than a usual cupcake recipe, but its definitely worth it…I’m eating one for breakfast right now (someone stop me!)
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but this one deserves it. It looked so good in the photo that I had to make it. I just made it (with milk chocolate) and I t is so awesome! This will be my go to chocolate frosting! My husband thinks it needs more sugar, but he likes SUPER sweet frosting. To me, this is just right on sweetness. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi, so glad i found this recipe. It’s so heavenly! Haven’t done the frosting
Though as i couldn’t find corn syrup in the grocery… Can i replace corn syrup
to something else?
Hi Liberty, Do you have access to Lyle’s golden syrup? You could use that.
These cupcakes look so, so good. I can’t wait to make them. I was wondering: can I use olive oil in this recipe, or would that affect the taste in a bad way? Thank you!!
Hi Christy, I definitely would not use olive oil in this recipe, the flavor would be much too heavy.
I made these today for a special friend’s birthday tomorrow, including the ganache. Wow. A bit of heaven, I think. They’re simply amazing. Thanks!
I was wondering if this needs to be refrigerated? If I make the ganache in the morning can I leave at room temperature until I fill cupcakes in the evening? After the cupcakes are filled do they need refrigerated if not eaten the same day?
Thanks. Love your page.
Hi Kristi, The cupcakes do not need to be refrigerated. They can stay at room temperature for up to 3 days. As for the ganache, I think it would be okay at room temperature, although I’ve never tried it so I don’t know how firm it would get. You definitely want a very soft, scoopable ganache when it’s time to make the cupcakes.
Do you need to use coffe?
Hi Sam, Yes, it’s actually an important ingredient, as it not only helps to keep the cupcakes moist, but it enhances the chocolate flavor, as well.
can I leave the coffee out of
the recipe? my husband dislikes the taste of coffee.
Hi Lynn, I would not recommend omitting the coffee; it really helps keep the cupcakes moist and enhances the chocolate flavor. You cannot taste the flavor of the coffee at all.
Hi Michelle!
Would it make a big difference if i don’t use a food processor to make the frosting? I unfortunately don’t have one in use right now. Could i just beat it with a stand mixer or hand mixer?
Thanks in advanced!
P.S (though’s cupcakes look like the bomb.com!!!)
Hi Maddie, Some other readers have commented that they used a stand mixer and had good results, so I think you should be okay. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle,
I am revisiting this recipe again but rather than cupcakes I am making it in a bigger round tin. And of course it tasted just as good, however, is there any adjustments I can do to prevent the cake from cracking so much on top? I tried a bowl of water in the oven but it did not help at all. Oops! Any tips? Thanks in advance!
Hi Elaine, Unfortunately, not all cupcake recipes translate well into cakes, and vice versa. This might be one of those recipes, although I haven’t tried it myself.
These cupcakes are amazing, especially the frosting! I’m planning to make them again soon for a larger group of people, but I know often it is risky to adjust the size of a baking recipe. Have you ever tried doubling this recipe, or do you have any thoughts on attempting it based on other baking experience? Thanks!
Hi Mary, So glad you enjoy them! I haven’t personally doubled the recipe, but other readers have done so with success.
I made these a few days ago after having a similar cupcake at Panera. I thought I could find a recipe that was as good as theirs. I have to say this was even better. It was a bit more involved but worth it. I made sure to follow the directions and used the exact ingredients listed. I used Hershey Special Dark Dutch processed cocoa. I was not able to eat the whole dozen so I froze the leftovers.
I really enjoy your site. I am a recent transplant to Florida via Mars PA so I enjoy the Pittsburgh references!
thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ll be trying it for my friend’s baby shower.
Best.Chocolate.Frosting.EVER! Cupcakes delicious too! This time I used half milk and dark chocolate. Go to recipe for sure.
These were so so good! I followed everything as mentioned but didn’t have time to do the frosting, but the cupcakes were moist, fluffy and light. 5 stars!! I will be making these again, with frosting included!
made these cup cakes today…turned out perfect..moist and fluffly….i omitted the ganache this time ….but next time i will make it with the ganache….this recipe is a keeper.thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe.
Thank you! I have been searching for the a chocolate cupcake recipe I was happy with and have finally found it! :)
Hi, Michelle. I want to make these cupcakes, but also do a thin layer of ganache on the top of the cupcake as well (sort of like a hostess cupcake). Will I be able to do that with this ganache recipe?
Hi Dee, I haven’t tried using this particular ganache recipe for anything other than this filling, so I couldn’t say for sure, unfortunately. I do have homemade Hostess cupcakes on the site, so you could use that recipe as a starting point: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2013/01/17/homemade-hostess-cupcakes/
I made these cupcakes on a whim and they were VERY CHOCOLATY! Almost too chocolatey (is that a thing?!), umm perhaps yes..
I found the ganache to be bitter and did not offer the contrast I would have liked against the sweet and rich frosting. I pictured the ganache to be as salt is to caramel, but found it fell flat. Bitter and flat. I would leave it out next time.
The cake batter itself is A HIT! I will use this base for chocolate cupcakes probably for life, so thank you! I have always loved coffee based mixes!
The frosting recipe is delicious, spoon worthy, spreading on toast worthy, but I used bakers chocolate and next time I would like to try Bernard Callebaut chocolate so that the rich chocolate flavour is, well; as pronounced as it can be. These cupcakes are SO chocolaty, why not have the best chocolate to start with. Its like when you’re drinking straight spirits. Lets just say you shouldn’t mix grey goose. The best is the best so enjoy it pure. I would caution that thought for people making this recipe. What quality of chocolate are you using for this recipe. Hershey’s cocoa and Hershey’s chocolate would be an interesting pairing for this recipe as well.
I have made the batter with bread flour and all purpose flour and they both work well. Bread if you can but don’t turn away from the recipe if you have all purpose to use on hand to run with.
Your photo’s and recipes are lovely to look forward to Michelle. I have your blueberry buckle in the oven as we speak and implore to you to keep on sharing!
I stumbled across this recipe while I was looking for a chocolate Easter cake recipe and decided to make these instead. I followed your instructions to the letter, aside from substituting the while vinegar for apple cider (I forgot to buy the white). And I don’t have a food processor so made the frosting by hand. I felt like Mr. Muscle once I was done, but it was worth it. These cakes came out perfectly. They are so rich and chocolatey… Amazing. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!!
Hello! I came across your recipe and was wondering if I could omit the chocolate in the frosting to make vanilla frosting, or will it not be the same without the chocolate in it?? Thank you!!!
Hi Andrea, If you’re just looking for a vanilla frosting, I would recommend this one: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/28/vanilla-cupcakes-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
Thank you so much! I’m making these Chocolate cupcakes plus these vanilla ones for a kids birthday party this weekend! Super excited to try out your recipes! :)
Hi,
I plan to make elmo cupcakes using buttercream frosting and fondant. How can I store them and how long would they last stored. I need them for May 18th and would like to make them as soon as I can. Also same question for cakepops.
Hi Mary, I would not make the cupcakes more than 2 days in advance, or you’ll risk the cake starting to dry out. I have never made cake pops, so I’m not sure how far in advance you could make those.
Thank you for the last reply, just one more question please. Is it okay to store the cupcakes with the fondant made eyes, nose and mouth?
Hi Mary, I think that would be fine.
Oh. my. gosh! I didn’t do the ganache or chocolate frosting, but the cake itself is absolutely to die for! Thanks for this incredible recipe. It’ll definitely be the first one I turn to when I want chocolate cake. Next time, I think I’ll try with the ganache
Hi there! May I know how did you prepare the hot coffee? Is sugar added?
I just used my Keurig to brew a cup of coffee. Do not add any sugar, it should be black coffee.
Best wishes. Has anyone made these without The coffee in them. ?
How grams is the following items:
– 1/3 cup of coca powder
– 3/4 cup hot coffee, is it black coffee
First of all -congrats on ur wedding……
Secondly the cupcakes were just insane..very dark and sooooo much rich
…made it for my family (i’m 12)….they all loved it..and i made it in a loaf pan and it came out just perfect…..the frosting was also perrfect…
thnks for sharing
Hey! Thanku soo much for this recipe
I just wanted to know that what can I use other than corn syrup? As its not available here and what does hot coffee mean? Do let me know as soo as possible :)
TC
I’m not sure what a good substitute would be for corn syrup; you could try agave nectar and see how that works, but I haven’t tried it. As for hot coffee… simply, brewed coffee that is still hot (temperature).
Hello,
These look amazing! Do you think I can use semi-sweet chocolate instead? Thats what I currently have?
Hi Sindy, Yes, that would be fine, enjoy!
Hello Michelle, thank you for the post, I have 2 questions for you, does the frosting work well with fondant? And also, what if I only need to make 6 cupcakes? How will the measurements change?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Andrea, This is a pretty soft frosting, so if you use it underneath fondant, I would use a very small amount so it doesn’t sneak out from underneath the fondant. As for making 6 cupcakes, just halve all of the ingredients.
Hi Michelle,
I never brewed coffee before and was wondering how many teaspoons/tablespoons you use in 1 cup of coffee?
Thank…)
Hi Shannice, I heard this general rule of thumb a few years ago and it seems to work well – however many cups you plan to brew, divide by 2 and add 1 – that’s how many scoops to use. So, for example, if you are brewing 6 cups of coffee, you would use 4 scoops.
When you say a scoop does that mean 1 tablespoon?
Hi Shannice, A scoop refers to a standard coffee scoop, I believe they hold 2 tablespoons.
How would you recommend adjusting for 2 round cake layers instead of cupcakes?
Hi Carolyn, You will need to double the recipe, and the bake time will be slightly longer.
Thanks, Michelle. This turned out wonderfully when I made it into 2 round layers. I forget to place parchment paper before pouring the batter in though, so I’d highly suggest that to make for a much easier release from the pan.
I also recently made these as cupcakes and mistakenly added the ganache to the icing instead of the batter and it was delicious. The icing came out slightly lighter, but still rich, creamy and delicious. I don’t know if you can mess up the recipe… so far it’s come through every time I’ve goofed it up.
Hi, how long did you have to put the 2 rounds layers in for and what size were your cake? Also, at what temperature? Thank you!
This is by far the best chocolate cupcake recipe I have ever tried! Although it has a strong coffee flavor (and I don’t dislike that), it’s super chocolatey! Finnaly, I only want to say that I’m a huge fan of your blog for a long time! Have a nice day :)
This is probably a slightly odd question, but what brand of butter do you use for the frosting? I’ve made a few different frostings in the past, but they never seem to come out the way it should. If it because of the butter? Or is it the powdered sugar? Thank you xx
Hi Catarina, I use Plugra butter. What do you mean by it doesn’t turn out the way it should? It would be hard to tell if it’s butter or powdered sugar, but I highly doubt that the brand of either would make a terribly huge difference.
Does anyone know if this recipe doubles well, or should I make two separate batches? Thanks!
I’m going to make separate batches when I fill a large cupcake order, next month. I think it will be easier just based on my experience with making one batch.
this is going to be my “go to” chocolate cupcake recipe! love it!
Few people have commented about the ganache causing baking issues. Would it work to core out the center and pipe the ganache into the cavity? Anxious to try these and want them to be perfect! thank you
Hi Sue, As long as you follow the chill times for the ganache, you should not have any issues. However, if you prefer to fill the cupcakes after baking, that would work, too.
REALLY want to make these cupcakes! This whole Dutch cocoa has me puzzled! Maybe I have read too much into it. If it works for you, then I feel that is what I should do. I have seen that if you are using Dutch, you should use baking powder in place of soda. Something about the alkali (sp)??? I cannot get the Penzeys (too expensive to ship) — have you used Droste or Perg something? Thank you so much…………….
Hi Sue, I have never used Droste or Perg, but you can use whatever brand you’d like.
OMG!!!! I think this is it!! The chocolate cupcakes recipe I’ve been waiting for!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!
I was just wondering about the hot coffee, is it with or without sugar?
thank you :)
Hi Mel, The coffee should be black, no sugar or cream.
I just made these, tonight, as a test bake for a large cupcake order I’ve got coming up for a baby’s first birthday, next month. The client wants something “really chocolatey,” so I googled for a different recipe than I usually use. First, let me say that this is one of the richest desserts I’ve ever put in my mouth and I’ve been in the cupcake business a long time. The ganache created a crater in the cupcake, which distressed me a little. I piped the frosting into the crater, so it worked but I feel like the extra frosting made for an even richer dessert. The cake set up nice, no complaints there. I used a basic Nestle cocoa in place of the Dutch cocoa just because it’s what I had. I thought it worked fine. I used my VitaMix to blend the frosting because I didn’t feel like getting my food processor out for 12 cupcakes. For the large order I will use the food processor because using the VitaMix worked but it created more of a mess than I would have liked. I really loved the consistency of the frosting. It was so buttery that it stirred well and piped like a dream. I think I will stick with this recipe for my order next month but I will omit the ganache. I think it is probably just a little month for a baby’s birthday party.
WOW!! I made these cupcakes and a double batch of this frosting today and they are incredible!! I love the cupcakes, they are rich and decadent. The frosting is dark and rich and tastes like chocolate, not like sweetness. I included the ganache in half the cupcakes and left it out of the other half so that I could compare. If I’m baking these cupcakes to make an impression then I’m going to include the ganache for the extra wow factor but just for the family I’ll skip it as the cupcakes on their own are marvelous. I made the cupcakes with All-purpose flour as that’s what I had in the house and I used dark chocolate everywhere it called for melted chocolate. The frosting is amazing but I need to find a way to make it slightly sturdier, it’s on the soft side right now and it won’t hold up to the “beaver cupcakes” I’ll be making with this frosting for Canada Day on July 1st. I’m not sure if just putting it in the fridge for an hour will do the trick or not but I’ll try that first. Otherwise I may try adding some whipped butter and extra icing sugar but I’m afraid to affect the sweetness of an already perfect frosting. Overall, this is a perfect recipe that I will make over and over, I’m so glad I found it and even more glad you shared it!
I just wanted to follow-up and say that I mixed an additional cup of butter with another cup of icing sugar and a cup of cocoa into the doubled batch of frosting and it thickened the consistency up perfectly without sacrificing the wonderful chocolate taste. I was concerned that it would turn out too sweet with the added sugar but the cocoa helped offset the sweetness and now I have more of a fudgy frosting that will hold up to the decorations I have planned for these outstanding cupcakes I’m about to bake again in about 20 minutes. It’s too bad I can’t post a picture for you to see the outcome, it’s a fun project!
Hi Joanne, Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m so glad you got the frosting to the consistency you were looking for. Enjoy the cupcakes! :)
I finally found the Dutched cocoa! Now I can make these! Do you feel that they can be made the day before serving? Will the frosting crust/set? I have never made an icing with these ingredients. Anxious to try a new one that is not cooked – or a stand mixer. Thank you so much……
Hi Sue, Yes, you could definitely make these a day in advance. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle………..I would like to know if the frosting will set/crust? Does it stay soft? If it is too soft to pipe, would you just add more xxx? thank you
Hi Sue, The frosting does not set or crust, but it does keep its shape once piped. I wouldn’t add anything to the frosting; unless your house is exceptionally hot or humid (no AC at this time of year), you shouldn’t have an issue with it being too soft.
Wow! I finally found the dutched cocoa and made these. Anxious to make again. Recipe easy to follow. I have never made this type of frosting. It was very silky and just beautiful. It stayed very soft. I was able to pipe it. Do you have any suggestions to make it a bit firmer? Thank you so much.
Hi Sue, I don’t think I would try to start altering this particular recipe; it’s just not meant to be a stiff frosting. If you’re looking for something firmer and stiffer, I would use a traditional American chocolate buttercream.
Hi! Does this recipe double well? or do you recommend making them in batches if I want to make more?
Hi Joyce, Yes, you can double this recipe.
Hi Michelle, why did you use bread flour instead of the usual all purpose or cake flour?
Hi Kate, The bread flour provides a sturdier cupcakes, which is necessary with the ganache filling being baked in the middle.
Hi! I’m planning to convert this recipe to a 6-inch, 4-layer cake but I’m not quite sure what to do with the ganache. If I spoon the ganache onto the cake batter (using a 6-inch springform pan), will the cake still rise? Or should I skip the ganache altogether?
Thanks! :)
Hi Chas, If you are converting this to a layer cake, I would probably omit the ganache. Enjoy!
Thanks Michelle! :)
Oh! Here I am again, asking for flour alternatives. First of all, these look DIVINE!! I’m making them tomorrow for a special occasion. That is, passing my time whilst others around me celebrate said occasion.
Getting to the point, though, can all purpose flour be used instead of the bread flour? I just exceeded my limit of spending and mum won’t be too happy with me running off to the market again. Other (more) accountable factors included, I really can’t use the bread flour. If yes, would it alter the outcome too much? (I have to get this right. My father doesn’t appreciate my “poor baking skills” at all. Must. Get. Approval)
Hi Mary Anne, If you intend to use the ganache center, I really do recommend the bread flour. It has more protein than all-purpose flour, which gives the cupcakes a sturdier base for holding a soft filling. You could use all-purpose flour, but I would then recommend omitting the ganache filling.
Hi, my frosting turned oily and lumpy… Any idea of how can I fix this??? Please someone help! THANK YOU”””
Hi! Can I use this recipe in a form of cake? Should I just double the recipe? Thanks a lot! :)
Hi Perlie, I haven’t done so, but a number of readers have made that adaptation with good results. (I would probably skip the ganache) Enjoy!
Has anyone tried making and freezing these? I’d love to make them for a baby shower, but a lot of people and being able to freeze ahead and then thaw and frost on the day would be a big help! Any tips for that?
You could definitely freeze them, but I would not frost them until after you’ve thawed them. To freeze, cool completely then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a ziploc freezer bag.
So I made this with my stepdaughter this weekend and I have to say mixed reviews here. The actual cake was gorgeous. Absolutely perfect, and it froze and thawed beautifully (I did leave out the ganache step, since I was freezing, not sure how well that would have worked). I am not a personal fan of the icing. I was actually a little shocked at how much corn syrup was in there compared to the powdered sugar. I am sure that is what gave it the silky glossy look, which was aesthetically lovely, but I found it to be almost too ooey gooey and quite sickly. I could only eat one miniature cupcake and felt a bit ill. Just a thought, but you have to really like a stickier, very sweet, gooey icing for this recipe! The cake is a homerun though, lest I sound too preachy! Almost like a fluffy brownie, exactly what I was looking for. With a simple buttercream I think this is a keeper
I’m making these for my 6 yr olds Birthday and wondering if the coffee in these cupcakes gives them a coffee taste?
Hi Wendy, You can’t taste the coffee; it just enhances the chocolate flavor. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for the recipe! May I ask why bread flour instead of AP flour? Is for the density of the cupcake? I don’t like cupcakes that are too floppy. Will this be the solution? Thank you.
Hi Johanna, Because there is a ganache center, the bread flour helps to create a sturdier cupcake that will keep its structure.
OH MY LANTA! I had some serious doubt these cupcakes were going to bake properly when I poured the batter into the cups. It was so thin I thought I must have done something wrong, but I didn’t!
The cupcakes are so fluffy and this is the best chocolate frosting I have ever had and don’t even get me started on that ganache! These are now my favorite cupcakes to make. THANK YOU SO MUCH for creating it! Everyone is going to want to be my best friend! :-p
Hi
I made the cupcakes but it falls apart at the first bite. this is the first time I encounter this problem. I am wondering if there is any technique when using bread flour for cupcakes?
Hi Corine, The bread flour actually makes the cupcakes sturdier so they should not fall apart or crumble.
Awesome recipe. Tried yesterday n the cupcakes were super super moist. Never gonna try any other chocolate cake or cupcake recipe…n yes i used all purpose flour n result was just great! Thanku so much gor sharing this recips with us. Love it
These were really excellent! I loved that the frosting was less sweet and could have eaten the whole lot with a spoon. :)
I made these cupcakes witbout the ganache. It may be because I used sunflower oil instead of just vegetable, but they came out tasting and smelling really strongly of the oil. Also, they dont have the lightness that youd expect from a cupcake. You can definitely tell there’s something “bready” about the texture. Shame cause they look great and domed beautifully.
Hi Jasmin, You absolutely may have noticed differences due to the oil substitution. The bread flour is used to create a stable cupcake that will hold up to the soft ganache filling, so eliminating that may have affected the final texture of the cupcake.
Thanks for the tips, I will try them again with proper vegetable oil and the ganache :)
The title of this recipe is 100% accurate. I have always been a fan of your recipes but this one blew me away. For the English readers I used Cadburys for the chocolate, and it just taste like one big bar of cadburys in a cake! Sooo good and by far the best butter cream I have ever had! I used plain flour simply as I didn’t have any strong bread flour in, and although I’m sure strong flour is better, these were definitely not lacking. I will never use a different recipe again! Thank you thank you thank you
This recipe is really amazing I made it several times with different frostings and every one loved it.I also made it for a birthday cake and it turned out heavenly.thanks for sharing the recipe <3
Ok, so I’m dead and Heaven is an infinite stash of those absolutely perfect cupcakes!!!
Just finished making these cupcakes now.
Absolutely exquisite. Such a fantastic recipe! These really are the best ever chocolate cupcakes! Thank-you so much for sharing. It’s my first time visiting your blog- and I am so glad I found it :) Subscribed too!
I followed recipe exactly, except there were some products I could not get as I am in NZ.
– Used standard cocoa powder
– No corn syrup so used golden syrup instead
– No bread flour, so I used plain flour.
– For icing, i didn’t have a food processor so I used hand-mixer instead. I found it was difficult to combine (so dry) so I added golden syrup and vanilla to help moisten mixture for ease of mixing.
Also I am just a beginner when it comes to cupcakes so I read comments regarding ganache beforehand and decided not to risk it being a noob and all. However, I still added it once cakes were cooked.
THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN! :D :D :D Loved it!
Hi,
Did you use a handmixer for preparing the cupcake batter? or a normal whisk will do? Your cupcakes look divine!
Hi Ginnie, I used a stand mixer. I would recommend at least a hand mixer, I have not used a whisk so couldn’t verify the outcome.
Hi! I was just wondering, is the center supposed to be soft because of the ganache filling or was mine just under-baked? Baked mine for 20minutes though.
Yes, it should be soft where the ganache is.
You may want to add a note on how much to fill the cups. I had no idea and filled them to about 80%. I now have a flood of overflowing cupcake mix burning up in my oven and a birthday today.
Hi Casey, I’m sorry about your mishap. If you divide the batter evenly between a standard muffin pan (for 12 cupcakes), then there should be an appropriate amount of batter in each cup.
After making these for the 1 millionth time i can say with hesitation that these are the most phenomenal, wonderful cupcakes i have ever baked and will always be the best. YUM. I swear you can’t mess these up. Any body who doesn’t mind a bit of work, make these!There amazing!
Just pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, they smell so good. Do you think I could freeze them till I need them on Saturday? That was my plan, but I hesitate because of the ganache. I’m making a variety of cupcakes for my daughter’s 30th birthday, all from your website. They are always a hit, so thank you.
Hi Regina, You can definitely freeze them, unfrosted. Happy birthday to your daughter!
I can’t find corn syrup so do you think a fudgy frosting would suit or not?? Thanks in andavce for your time!!!
Hey Michelle,
Tried this last week,turned out fabulous!was a bit unsure of the measurements though as they were in cups ,nevertheless turned out well!it would be helpful if the amounts are given in grams or ounces as cup measurements tend to vary in different websites,countries,volumes etc.
Hi Gill, You could also use Lyle’s Golden Syrup, but yes, a fudge frosting is always delicious!
I have to agree these are in fact amazing cupcakes :)
Can this recipe be doubled? Also do they keep well overnight?
Hi Katie, Yes you can double it. And yes, they will be fine overnight.
I would like to add that this frosting recipe is awesome. I’ve used it a few times, but for some reason it separated. I may have not let my chocolate cool enough. I was DEVASTATED. However, with some quick thinking I grabbed my sour cream and threw in a glob and after a few pulses with the processor, omg it was saved. Shiny, thick, bam. Thank goodness.
Hi There.
These cupcakes have become our favourite and have not considered using any other recipe! i Just love this recipe!
What i would like to know is would i be able to make a two layered cake with this recipe?
Excluding the ganache ofcourse.
Would you advise that?
Hi Sonam, So awesome to hear you love the cupcakes! I haven’t made a layer cake from this recipe, but others have with success. You’ll need to double the recipe for a two-layer cake and may need to increase the baking time a bit. Enjoy!
Thanx a ton! Will be trying it sometime this week! :D
I tried these out last week (sans the ganache filling) and they turned out great. This was my first time baking cupcakes. I didn’t have an icing cone to put the icing so it looked rather clumsy. But it tasted great.
P.S I didn’t add corn syrrup to the icing because I didn’t have any. Is there any substitution for that?
Hi Robin, The only substitution I could think of would be something like Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
I made these today as per instructions but they all sank in middle (huge craters) where I put the ganache on top :( what did i do wrong???
Ps they taste awesome though so not wasted!!!!
Hi Marion! I know this reply is a bit late, but here it is! I’ve made these cupcakes several times, and the crater effect has happened on a couple of occasions, but I don’t mind it at all, since it gets covered in frosting. I think it happens when the ganache is chilled for too long. It gets heavy and sinks down. Try chilling it for just 20 minutes. I usually make the cake batter first, get that in the fridge, then make the ganache.
Omgggggg these are by far the best chocolate cupcakes EVER!! And I mean it! I was a bit worried about using the bread flour instead of ap flour & of course the vinegar but oh my word! They came out beautifully, rose to perfection . As a professional cake decorator it is crucial for me that the cupcakes rise evenly and these ones sure did! They are soft, moist, chocolaty, melt in the mouth kind of goodness! I have not made the frosting as I’m going to cover these with fondant and decorate them but One thing is for sure…… I’m not gonna use any other chocolate cupcake recipe ever! This is definitely a keeper
What happens if you don’t add coffee? Making for my sons’s birthday. Thanks!!!
Also we don’t drink coffee so I don’t have any in the house.
Hi Carolyn, The coffee adds both moistness and a complement to the chocolate flavor (you can’t actually taste the coffee). I really recommend using it (you can use decaf for kids if you want); if you don’t, then hot water will work, but the flavor of the cupcakes may be a little diluted.
Hi,
Ive used pastry flour instead of bread flour and my cupcake turned out be crumbly. Is that the cause of it? And may I know if I can use maple syrup to substitute corn syrup?
Thank you :)
I made these recently and they were FANTASTIC! They will be my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe from now on. :)
i would love to try these- but non dairy
can i do anything to sub out the heavy cream?
would a soy, rice or alternate non milk work?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried any non-dairy substitutes so I can’t say for sure how it would impact the recipe. Let me know if you give them a try!
Holy Moly! These look amazing. I love chocolate cupcakes. I am tempted to run home and make these as soon as I walk into the house.
Hi Michelle,
I have cocoa powder in my cupboard, but it’s not Dutch processed. It’s Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened. Can I use that or will it make a difference in flavor?
Hi Linda, It will make a difference. If you can get Dutch-processed, definitely use that.
Ok, thx Michelle!
Yum! Those look so decadent!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
This has been my ‘go-to’ chocolate cupcake recipe since I first tried it in 2013. I rarely add the ganache middle…still A-MAZING!
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled, or would I need to make separate batches?
never mind, just saw where you answered this above. :)
Please, how can I find the translation to spanish for at least the récipe of the frosting in grams instead of cups? It look soo amazing but I don´t understand. I want to make them !!! Thanks a lot !!!
These look and sound like heaven, thank you so much for sharing – I have pinned to make them later!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
OH. That frosting….
I am constantly in awe of your photography skills (and of course your baking but that’s a given!). I honestly don’t know how you got that frosting to look so good!
How decadent!! These look so silky and luxurious, can’t wait to test them out.
Hi,would love to try these but I don’t have Dutch processed cocoa powder. Can I use regular cocoa powder? Will there be any other adjustments if I do so?
Hi Cherise, It does make a difference because of how each one reacts with leaveners. I would recommend buying a supply of Dutch-process cocoa powder to keep on hand (you can find it at places like Amazon, King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, etc.). You can make the substitution if need be, but know that it may affect the taste and how the cupcakes rise.
Congratulations for the wedding with best wishes, waiting for the wedding arty photos,
the chocolate cupcakes are so delicious
Hi, these cupcakes are awesome–they taste as awesome as they look…just one question; can I use this recepie for a cake? I want to make a chocolate layer cake; could you guide me on how to vary the ingredient quantities.
Thanks
Hi Alliya, I haven’t used this recipe for a cake, but a number of other readers have, and have had success. Enjoy!
What type of chocolate did you use for frosting (milk, semi, or dark)
Hi Veronica, I used semisweet.
Just made these for my daughter’s piano recital…to say they are amazing and outrageous is an understatement!! These are beyond words delicious – but they will probably keep all of the kids up tonight. Super chocolatey with coffee. I did use decaf, so that’s a plus
How lucky I am that I came across this recipe yesterday! So was everyone else at the party last night. These are truly the world’s best cupcakes. I must admit I used 1/2 cup sugar in the frosting, which was AMAZING. Ganache baked in? Brilliant, moist, deliciousness. Endless thanks!
This is my favourite chocolate cupcake recipe!!! Use it over and over, and it never disappoints :) thanks!
I made these for my son’s birthday (after googling “best chocolate cupcakes” and they were fantastic! I subbed AP flour for bread flour and agave nectar for the light corn syrup, and I used a stand mixer for everything – no food processor. Anyway, they were amazing and everyone loved them. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe, I would make these again!
I just found this recipe after years of searching for a chocolate cupcake that wasn’t dry. This is it! So good so chocolaty without being overwhelmingly rich. Now my go to!
OMG .. I made these delicious cuppies without the frosting and they tasted ORGASMIC .. Thank you for sharing this recipe :) Love & Light
I just finished making these and they turned out incredibly. They’re soft and fluffy and not at all too sweet. Thank you so, so much for sharing! xx
To my fellow bakers, brown eyed or blue:
My experience with Brown Eyed Baker’s “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was a fantastic one. She includes interesting ingredients that not only add taste, but aesthetic and textural appeal (coffee, vinegar, and corn syrup, oh my). However, it’s not one for the lazy. Technically it’s three recipes in one – ganache, cake, and frosting – and can be time and temperature sensitive. In conclusion, it’s a mouthwatering but challenging recipe.
My recommendation: Go for it!
This recipe will push you. But, trust me, the results are to die for. Here’s why:
As a baker from the hipster-infused Pacific Northwest, I love a unique recipe. My criteria are that it’s engaging (fun to make) and entertaining (fun to eat). There should be interest factors that make me both excited and slightly nervous that the kitchen may combust. In other words, like many, I enjoy recipes that push my limits. And like more than many, I have made chocolate cupcakes dozens of times– some hits, some misses – but never have I come across such a shocking crowd-pleaser as Brown Eyed Baker’s take on the classic.
With “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes,” it was the aesthetic appeal of the recipe that first drew me in (high-def photographs; hilarious dialogue). But it was the interest factors that had me stay: the gooey ganache center and double-take ingredients like coffee and white vinegar.
As a lover of all things mocha, the coffee had me especially excited.
But vinegar?
I was tentative. I turned to Google, which, as we know, can appease and terrify (avoid WebMD). As I nervously typed in “vinegar+cake” I was expecting an explosion of taste bud horror stories. Instead, I learned about its magnificent moistening powers.
So, with trust in the Brown Eyed Baker, I measured out two teaspoons with a pinched nose and was… rewarded. The cakes fell apart in my mouth with zero strange aftertastes. I know it was the vinegar the made the different because when I tried the recipe for a second time and did not take the extra trip to the market, the cakes were slightly less moist (although still delicious… hey, it’s chocolate).
One of my criteria for a bad recipe is that it’s more effort than deserving, whether this means multiple trips to the supermarket or emergency room. Although “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was definitely worth it, I’ll admit it did push my comfort zone. Here’s why:
First, not everyone has white vinegar at-the-ready in his or her pantry. At least not most college students like myself. This one essential ingredient complicates the recipe because, as you may have already guessed, it now needs be planned. White vinegar is not the only anomaly; bread flour and Dutch-pressed cocoa powder also join the mix. This can make any of the three parts – ganache, cake, or frosting – an afternoon in themselves.
Why does this matter? We’ve all fudged the details of a recipe before. I’m here to tell you, in the case of “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes,” the details make the cake.
Before this recipe, I was a self-proclaimed novice who reveled in chances to deviate from the recipe. Ingredients were guidelines. Measurements were suggestions. No cream of tarter? Add cream, leave the tarter. Looking back, it was a good thing that the first time I made “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was during a scorching August afternoon when my blood was running so thick and warm that I had no choice but to slow down, shop for ingredients, and follow the recipe as followed. Otherwise, I may have chocked up the potentially-disastrous results to the recipe’s failing rather than my own.
But I did not deviate. I promise. And the recipe was perfect.
The ganache was silky. The cake was bouncy. The frosting was curl-tipped enough for a Dairy Queen commercial. I was Queen of the House for a whole three hours (only makes dozen; doesn’t supply willpower).
Eager, I made them again the next week. But this time — whether from arrogance or generic laziness – I disregarded the vinegar, upped the coffee, used a hodgepodge of three different flours, and frosted while the cake was hot. There was no cream-curl. There was only sadness. (Again, a hyperbole. I still ate three before dinner)
Nevertheless, I would not consider this recipe’s complexity a downfall. Like any good recipe or relationship, it was worth the trouble. For me, it was also a learning opportunity. Brown Eyed Baker seems to agree. In her “About” section, she hopes we “leave the site with the insatiable urge to run into your kitchen and whip up what you’ve seen here, and the confidence to know that you can do it.”
I’m here to tell you, you CAN do it. If a lazy-but-pretend-I’m-creative college student can, you can. Sure, the recipe is time and temperature sensitive. So take the time or you will feel the heat. Measure the flour. Cool the cakes. You will rule the house as Chocolate Champion. Because these cupcakes are both interesting in their ingredients and sinful in their savoriness.
I can’t wait to try Brown Eyed Baker’s other recipes!
These cupcakes were a HUGE hit and started quite the story this weekend. I made a double batch and brought half to a friend’s moving party where they were quickly devoured. The other half I left at home for a birthday party on Sunday. While I was at the moving party my roommate brought a 10 month yellow lab puppy to the house she was babysitting. Long story short they were so tempting the puppy found his way to devouring 10 cupcakes that my roommate thought were out of reach…. (She has never had a large dog before. She is now aware only the microwave, oven, or other shelf she can only reach by step stool is safe from puppies). Long story short, I came home to a very happy puppy who seemed unbothered by the copious amounts of consumed chocolate. After a long night at the veterinary ER the poor puppy was still quite happy with himself when we got home and the vet was impressed with the volume of cupcake in his stomach. He stated that if the puppy was not brought in as quickly as he was this story would have ended very differently. He is 100% fine and running around as if nothing ever happened. He even sat wagging his tail asking for a bite of one of the two surviving cupcakes when I it as a snack at the end of the night (clearly he did not connect the dots). We have subsequently renamed these delicious cupcakes “Death by Chocolate”. Though there were no cupcakes for the birthday party there was an unforgettable story for these cupcakes.
Isn’t the chocolate cupcake base just a rewrite of the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated for their Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake?
Oh, now I see it — but it’s a bit sneaky to put the attribution way at the bottom of the recipe, as if you “developed” the techniques, like melting the chocolate in the coffee or using bread flour. From reading the entire post, I had the idea that you developed this recipe, instead of just found it in Cook’s Illustrated and tried it yourself. The blogging world is very strange indeed, when it comes to copyright and attribution :)
Hello! I love this cupcake recipe and congratulations on your wedding (a couple of years late, no biggie.) If somebody does see this comment, I have a few suggestions:
– I only had a mini food processor, so i just used that to cream the butter well until it was extremely smooth and shiny, and then I beat everything else in with a hand mixer which gave me great results!
– Definitely try to aerate the batter before baking, I found it too be too dense/rich/fudgy (even for me, a deathly chocolate lover) when coupled with the dense, rich, fudgy frosting
– beat the butter in the frosting for a loooooong time, otherwise the frosting will also be too dense. (but the frosting is absolutely wonderful for piping. its amazing!)
– i didn’t realize that i had ran out of white vinegar, so i had just substituted the baking soda for some extra baking power and they rose perfectly well
– skimp on the chocolate and butter for the frosting. i added the correct, exact amounts, and it was a sweet, sweet disaster. way too sweet. like it was overpowering. esp since i used semi-sweet chocolate chips!
– i added extra cocoa powder for a deeper flavor, and it worked very well! the coffee + cocoa powder is one of my favorite combinations when baking.
thats all, but its best to play a little with this fantastic recipe! its great! definitely recommend.
These are amazing! Made a batch for a friends birthday last night and got raving reviews from everyone. Thank you for sharing.
I made these (without the ganache) last weekend and they were super good. I am not a coffee drinker but do keep espresso powder on hand for baking so mixed some of that up to use in place of the coffee. Used semi sweet chips in the frosting and my stand mixer since I don’t have a food processor. frosting was not overly sweet in my opinion, it was perfect. thanks!
Hi Michelle! Great recipe! I loved making these. They were super chocolatey and moist.
One thing: my first batch I baked them in muffin cups and then I ran out so I just filled my muffin tin, and they didn’t rise. They just kind of spread. Any idea why?
Also, one cupcake totally sank in the middle. It was just the one though.
Still I enjoyed them! And I made my own frosting – used a box of chocolate heavy cream mixed with Nutella. Delicious!
These are, in fact, the ultimate chocolate cupcake as advertised! I have been searching for a chocolate cake recipe for years (have the frosting covered) and I search no longer. I used regular flour and I can’t imagine the results being any better with Bread flour, which I don’t ever have on hand. This frosting recipe is easier than the one I had previously found and just as heavenly. I will say this, I didn’t have the ingredients for the ganache, plus I just didn’t see the need, so I left it out. Even without it, “these are too rich,” (something I have NEVER said} almost escaped my mouth. Almost, but not quite:) I and those I served felt like we would faint, they were so delicious. I may try it with the ganache next time just to make sure, but I feel these cupcakes are the ultimate without it!
Hello I loved this recipe as cupcakes! Would it work doubled or tripled as a recipe for in a cake tin?? If not do you have another recipe that would give me a nice moist dark sponge?
Thank you!
Hi Lynne, A bunch of readers have mentioned that they have doubled this recipe and made an 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake. If you look in my Cake archives, I use the same base chocolate cake recipe for the Snickers Cake and the Six-Layer cake – I would recommend that recipe, too!
Hello is the frosting ok to use on a cake that will sit for 24 hours before being delivered? I cant see any ingredient that would go off at room temperature?
Hi Lynne, They can sit at room temperature for 24 hours, I just wouldn’t leave them in a hot/humid environment, i.e. outside or in an non-air conditioned house during the summer.
Ultimate is correct! These were great. My husband especially liked the frosting and wondered out loud whether there was a white/vanilla recipe like it. I checked the recipe index and could not find something similar. Would it work to swap white chocolate for the dark and add more powered sugar to replace the cocoa powder?
Hi Jenny, I have not tried adjusting this recipe to make it a white chocolate frosting… if you play around with it, definitely let me know how it turned out!
Thank you for the recipe!! I am interested in using it in my upcoming wedding – my fiance, mom, aunt, and I are making the cupcakes ourselves. Two questions: would you recommend doubling or quadrupling your recipe for such a large demand (150-200 cupcakes)? And, would your icing recipe stand up to the heat of a late August wedding? If not, what kind of modifications would you make to make it sturdier? Thanks so much!
Hi Marianne, For 150-200 cupcakes you will need more than 2-4x this recipe. I would just divide however many cupcakes you want by 12 and increase the recipe by that multiple. As for the frosting… do you mean an outdoor August wedding? If so, no, I do not think the frosting would hold up. I would probably search for another frosting recipe that is sturdier.
Hi, I was wondering if I would it work to make this recipe in an 8-inch cake pan as a single layer chocolate cake? Or is the recipe designed specifically to be baked as individual cupcakes?
Hi Joanna, I have not tried to make this as a single layer cake, but the measurements would work. Let me know if you like it!
Just made the cupcakes without the panache, using some Chocolate Glazed Donut coffee and a combo of regular and Special Dark cocoa. Just tried a semi-warm one, unfrosted, and it is delish!
Hi, what if i do not have light corn syrup? Can i substitute it with something else?
Hi Isabelle, You could try substituting Lyle’s Golden Syrup in place of the corn syrup.
OMG. I just made these this afternoon. It is AMAZING!!!
Hi,
Just made these. Believe me when i say it, they were out of this world. I would make a batch again and again. Just simply mind blowing.
Just a quick question. Can i convert them into muffins? A big overflowing muffin without the frosting ofcourse. What would change in the recipe? I know there is a chocolate chunk muffin in this recipe, but i fell in love with this as soon as I made a batch.
Thanks,
Ritu
Hi Ritu, To serve these as muffins, I would just omit the ganache filling and the frosting. Done! :) No need to change anything (although you could include chocolate chips if you’d like!).
Does the frosting have to be done in a food processor?
I did it in a stand mixer and after adding the melted chocolate the mixture got extremely hard and did not have that beautiful gloss like yours.
Besides for that, the cupcakes were delicious.
Hi Aaqila, I have not tried to make this in a stand mixer, so I’m not sure if it would cause that to happen. I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Cupcake looks yummy…will try it for sure..
Have read somewhere when using dutch process cocoa,baking powder is to be used and not baking soda..Is it ok to use baking soda?
Hi Laks, In general, I recommend following any recipe as written for best results. In this case, I would not switch to baking soda.
Hi Michelle,
These cupcakes look amazing..:) All the food photographs on your blog are sheer treat to the eyes..awesome work..
Hi Michelle,
Love these cupcakes, but have always wanted to make a two-layer cake using this recipe.
Have you made a layer cake using this recipe? If so, would one batch make two 8 or 9-inch round cakes, and how would you adjust the baking time?
Thanks in advance!
Becca
Hi Becca, I have never made a cake using this recipe, but some other readers have. You would need to double the recipe for two 8-inch or 9-inch layers. You’ll need to increase the baking time a bit, but since I haven’t done it, I don’t know exactly how long. Hope that helps!
Hi there was wondering what the last ‘8 ounces chocolate (milk, semi sweet or dark,) melted’ is all about?
Is this just chocolate melted in milk? If so how much milk is needed?
Could you let me know what this means please, thank you!
Live in the UK and not to sure as to what this actually is.
Kind regards
Hi Mrs P, No, do not melt it in milk… you can choose whatever type of chocolate you’d like – milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate or dark chocolate. You should melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power.
Is there anything I can substitute the bittersweet chocolate with? More cocoa powder?
Hi Jacquelynn, You can use semisweet chocolate, but you can’t substitute chocolate in another form, such as cocoa powder.
Only 3/4 cup of flour? Is that possible? Do you mean 3 3/4?
Hi Cherie, Yes, 3/4 cup – not a typo.
I tried your recipe, and I love them!!! My only questions are, How long should I store the cupcakes with frosting? And, without frosting, how long should I store them in a container?
Thank you
Hi Bobbi, You can store the cupcakes with frosting for up to 3 days. Without frosting, I would say probably 4 days, but then once you frost them, I would eat within a day.
I’ve made these twice and they are the best chocolate cupcakes. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, looks amazing.Is there a recipe for frosting without corn syrup?
Thank you!
Hi Miki, You can use any other chocolate frosting recipe if you’d prefer not to use corn syrup.
I just love theses cupcakes. I was wondering if you ever tried this recipe as a cake? If so how did it turn out? Thanks!
Hi Hortencia, I have not, but others have commented that they have with good results.
Hi – if I want to make 24 of the cupcakes, can I just double the ingredients? Some cake recipes do not adjust very well to simply doubling ingredients.
Hi Norma, Yes, you can double this recipe.
I had really high hopes for this cupcake, but it fell very short. First off the ganache was awful and bitter. The bittersweet chocolate should have just been milk/dark chocolate instead. The cupcake itself was soft and fluffy with a great texture, but it too was not sweet enough. The frosting was “grainy” in texture. The cocoa powders seems to have added a very grainy “bite” to what should have been a smooth frosting. The taste was good besides the texture.
If I wanted to do a mini cupcake with this recipe, how would it change the recipe and the cooking time?
thanks!
Hi Brianne, I would just reduce the baking time and start checking for doneness around 8 minutes.
This is my go to recipe for cupcakes, however I would like to make this is a cake. Can this be converted?
Thank you
Hi Laurie, I personally have not, but other readers have mentioned that they have with success.
Can you replace the Dutch-processed cocoa powder with regular cocoa powder?
will it make a difference?
Hi Jaqui, It will make a difference; they both interact with leaveners (baking soda/powder) differently.
This is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated.
Can I use baking chips for the bittersweet chocolate?
If they are semisweet or dark/bittersweet, yes!
What is bread flour? What brand did you use for the fluor?
Hi Arielle, Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour. I use King Arthur Flour brand bread flour.
I’m not kidding, that is the most perfect cupcake I’ve ever seen! I will definitely give this a try when I get the time. Wow!
Unfortunately, this turned out to be the driest cupcake I have ever made. I did everything on this recipe, but the cupcakes were disappointing.
These are by far the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. Thank you for this recipe! I don’t like using corn syrup, but I tried it the first time…the second time, I replaced it with honey and loved it! I also stopped and tried it with the honey prior to adding the chocolate and it was so delicious. I added the melted chocolate, but I used dark chocolate and I actually preferred it without. This are super yummy!
Hi Michelle,
I am so trying this frosting! I love my chocolate cupcakes so I will not be replacing those but I will try this frosting of yours cause it looks to die for. I will make yours first and then I want to try substituting Lacta Drinking Chocolate instead of the Cocoa. Will let you know how that turns out. I will also try frosting vanilla cupcakes with it as it looks light and airy. Regarding the bakery cakes you mentioned you can’t duplicate I’m 99% sure they use ready mixes made specially for bakeries (to stay fresh longer) but I read somewhere that if you use the boxed mix and replace water for milk (same measurements) and use 2 extra eggs than the box says it should come out as close as you will get to a bakery’s white cake. Not sure as I don’t use boxed mixes but if you try it, let me know xoxo
I made these cupcakes yesterday without the frosting. Holy smokes! They were delicious and everybody loved them! I didn’t do the ganache or the chocolate frosting (I definitely will another time though) but instead paired these chocolate cupcakes with an Italian buttercream and they came out awesome! I did not have any bread flour so used all purpose flour and the texture was still great. People loved how much chocolate flavor they had and said that they were very moist and fudgey. I will definitely be keeping this recipe and next time will try out the ganache and chocolate frosting.
Hi,
I wanted to know they to do half this recipe, to do a 6 cupcake batch. Because i tried doing it using half of every ingredient and it they all sinked in the middle. I tried 3 times and it never worked. I did the whole batter the first time using AP flour and they turned just great. PLease help
Hi Cristina, Unfortunately some recipes simply do not work if they are scaled up or down because of subtle shifts in ingredients quantities like eggs or leaveners.
Hi. This is such a delish recipe. I used AP flour and it still tasted amaze! I am young but a baker at heart !
Wow – these are amazing. Just made them with my two 11-year-old nephews, and while that meant it took, oh, 3 hours or so, we all (adults and kids alike) agreed they were well worth it and the best chocolate cupcakes ever. Soft, moist, chocolate richness inside with the perfect crunchy/caramel-y “crust,” and chocolate frosting that even I, who doesn’t like frosting, absolutely loved. And to top it off, we baked them in robot cups so the frosting looked like brains. What could be better? I am trying to post a picture for you, but alas, it’s not working. In any case – YUM, and thank you!
This frosting is AMAZING!!! I rarely comment (bc I am lazy) but I was so happy with this frosting that I just had to come back and talk about it!! It was so easy and turned out so delicious and shiny!! I put it on my favorite chocolate cupcakes (will try this cupcake recipe next time) and they were the best I have ever made. Good thing too because I brought them into work for my boss’s birthday!! :) Thanks for the great write up BEB!!
I want to make delicious chocolate cupcakes for a friend’s birthday, but she’s allergic to anything coffee-related. Is there anyway to substitute the hot coffee for something else? Would leaving it out dramatically change the flavor? Thanks!
Hi Emily, Yes, you can use hot water. The coffee helps to enhance the chocolate, but it should be fine without it.
I’m making these cupcakes for my sister’s birthday, but she loves the chocolate cupcake/vanilla frosting combo. Is it possible to make this cupcake with the chocolate ganache and top it with vanilla frosting? Or should I leave out the ganache?
Hi Alisha, I would recommend just omitting the ganache and using vanilla frosting. Enjoy! :)
The best cupcakes ever! I changed them to Gluten Free all purpose flour and one teaspoon on Xantham gum, the best gluten free cupcakes we have every made! Thank you
Hi Michelle. I loved this recipe. Would it possible to substitute the white vinegar for apple cider vinegar? Thanks! Your recipes are beautiful!
Hi Dani, I haven’t made that switch, but I THINK it should be okay. Report back!
IS this unsweetened cocoa powdeer?
No, you should use Dutch-process cocoa powder.
I used just the cupcake part of this recipe and was very pleased! I don’t have a problem with the ganache or frosting It just wasn’t what I wanted. My son Ezra was having his 4th birthday so we did a chocolate cupcake (yours) and I used my own chocolate buttercream frosting and then I tucked a Reese’s mini peanut butter cup inside! It was a HIT! Check out the pictures on my site if you get a chance. Thank again! — I think most of the comments on here that had problems with your recipe was because they didn’t use the same ingredients, or they had old ingredients, or not following all the directions. Maybe all the above. I made a few modifications but I got skills like that! LOL
(originally I left my comment in a reply because the site was not allowing me to leave a comment, but as soon as I used reply this form appeared SMH ? Well any-who…THANKS!)
If I would make this recipe as cake for 8 or 9 inch pan, what would be the oven temperature and baking time?
Hi Malou, First be aware that if you want a two-layer cake using 8 or 9 inch rounds, you’ll need to double the recipe. The oven temperature would be the same, but baking time would need to be increased a bit. I haven’t done this, so I can’t give you an exact time, just check every few minutes for doneness.
Thank you so much for your reply. I did this cupcake and I just loved it so much even my family loved it. It really melts in your mouth.
Hi Michelle! Seeing how good you are at what you do, I’m so glad we have the same name! :)
This recipe looks incredible! I wanna try it out this week. Just to clarify, what is “Dutch-processed cocoa powder”? Is that simply any cocoa powder from a Dutch brand? Thanks in advance, dear!
Hi Michelle, No, actually Dutch-processed cocoa powder is treated with alkali that alters its acidity. I wrote all about in this post: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/baking-basics-cocoa-powder-101/
AMAZING!!! Best I have had by far although my tops domed and the ganache sunk to the bottom??? I also used a cream cheese frosting.
I love your blog and have been wanting to try this frosting for ages! Have you ever used this frosting on a cake? Would it hold up well on a cake?
Hi Hannah, Yes, I have! You can see it here:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/yellow-cake-chocolate-frosting/
Hi!
I was wondering, because I don’t have bread flour, how much all purpose flour should I use or is the recipe only good with bread flour?
Thank you
I made these yesterday for a Christmas party for work and they were a huge hit! I didn’t make the frosting, I’ll try it next time, but the cupcakes were amazing! Definitely my new go to recipe.
They look gorgeous and I want to bake them soon. Is it fine to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch processed? Recently I baked a cake with the Dutch processed and did not enjoy the result: I found the chocolate flavor very bland, I prefer it intense. I’m curious and love the science of baking: what’s the role of vinegar here? Thank you!!
Hi Camila, I do not recommend substituting the cocoa powders, as the Dutch process reacts with the vinegar to give the cupcakes rise. I wrote about the differences here:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/baking-basics-cocoa-powder-101/
I made these cupcakes for the superbowl party that I hosted this past weekend. HOLY CHOCOLATE OVERLOAD, and I mean that in the best way possible. The recipe is a bit of a process but nothing too involved. The frosting oh my God, I want to take a bath in this frosting. I did opt to make the ganache and im glad I did but did notice that it sank to the bottom of the cupcake after baking. It still tasted delicious and I re-read the directions to make sure I put it in at the right time and from what I read I did it correctly. I would absolutely make these again as they are phenomenally moist and creamy at the same time. Soooooo good!
I just baked this cupcake yesterday to RAVE reviews. I didn’t use the frosting, but a did use an espresso buttercream and it was the most amazing chocolate cupcake I’ve ever had. Thank you for an AMAZING recipe!!!
What did you use or how did you frost the cupcakes to look like that? Do I need to get or buy something? We are having a “cup cake” wars at work on Tuesday and I want to win! Can you double the recipe?
Thank You, I can’t wait to make them. They sound Delicious! Donna ~
Hi Donna, I used the Ateco #823 decorating tip for piping the frosting. Good luck! :)
Is there a way to make the frosting without the corn syrup? Or do you have a good chocolate frosting that doesn’t use corn syrup? Thanks. I try and avoid corn syrup in all my food products. GMOs and all that.
Hi Susan, This particular recipe wouldn’t quite work without it, but this is also a great chocolate frosting recipe:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/classic-yellow-cupcakes-with-chocolate-frosting/
I am making these now. I don’t have corn syrup and asked my hubby to pick some up on the way home. However, I just creamed the butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, and it’s definitely tasty enough to frost the cupcake. Hubby can come straight home to delicious. Only other comment, I baked needed to bake these for 23 minutes. Maybe my oven.
These cupcakes are MONEY!!!! I made these today for our parent-teacher conference carry-in and ALL the teachers loved them. The best thing about these cupcakes are that they are not too sweet and are incredibly moist!! These will be my go-to cupcakes from now on.
These were SPECTACULAR. I’m usually not a big cupcake fan since they’re often so dry, but wow are these moist! Almost like brownies but with a lighter, cakey texture. I made them for a friend’s birthday, one batch with the chocolate frosting above and one with the espresso buttercream from your Mocha Cupcakes recipe and both were amazing. I wow-ed many cupcake skeptics that night ;) Thanks for the recipe!
Hands down best chocolate cupcake recipe:) I love the fact that it asks for real chocolate for the sponge mixture and the icing. I just had one question – the ganache sinks to the bottom of the cupcake instead of staying somewhat in the centre. There’s no ganache at all IN the actual cupcake. Do you have any idea what I may be doing incorrectly?Thank you!
Hi Lateefah, So glad you love these! As for the ganache center, be sure that you aren’t refrigerating longer than 30 minutes, or until it’s just BARELY chilled. If it starts to set and get firmer, it will sink in the batter. I hope that helps!
Finally got around to making these! Your rendition has always stuck with me. : ) Boy oh boy, they are a chocoholic’s dream come true. I loved them too much. Thank you for sharing! : )
Why is bread flour used instead of cake flour?
It helps to keep the cupcakes sturdy enough for the ganache center.
Would just like to let you know I tried the frosting and. the ganache and they tasted amazing, would of tagged you in my instagram page but I’m not sure you have one x
So glad you enjoyed them! My Instagram handle is @thebrowneyedbaker :)
10/10. Will make again. I was asked to make cupcakes for my mother-in-laws wedding and was quite nervous about finding the perfect recipe until now. Made a test batch this morning and I honestly think they are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
I tried 3 chocolate cupcake recipes before this one and they all came out dry! These came out perfectly:). Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I was wondering why you put bread flour into these cupcakes. I’ve never seen hi gluten flour used in a cake other than with yeast.
The bread flour has a higher protein content, which helps keep it stable enough to support the ganache center being baked right in. I hope that helps!
Phenomenal recipe! Elegant, easy to follow, and the cupcakes were delicious. I brought these to a work event and several people asked for the recipe so I directed them here. I didn’t have a food processor for the icing, so I used a large Ninja blender. This left the ingredients not fully incorporated, but a few seconds with a handheld mixer afterwards, and the icing was great : ) Thanks, Michelle!
Hi Michelle, can you please tell me what brand of Dutch cocoa powder you use? I think it does make a difference in the finished product. BTW, these cupcakes look phenomenal!! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks so much.
Hi Carol, I’ve been using either Valrhona or King Arthur Flour for a few years now. Love both!
Well, you’ve done it again! I always use your frosting recipes & this one is the best ever. My boss is retiring & I made chocolate & vanilla cupcakes (using mixes) and was going to make both chocolate & vanilla icing. I made this frosting first. There was enough to frost all 40 cupcakes generously & I had about 1/2 cup leftover. I’m sure no one will complain about this yummy, creamy frosting.
Aw that’s awesome! I’m so glad you loved the frosting!
Hello, I would like to make this recipe because it looks really good, but I wonder: I only have an espresso maker, can I use an equal amount of espresso in the recipe or should I water it down? I’m afraid the coffee taste would be too strong.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Linda, I think I would water it down. Enjoy the cupcakes!
I LOVE that icing recipe. It’s very similar to European buttercream, but not nearly as tricky to make. I think some bakers don’t like to use corn syrup because they think it is the same as high-fructose corn syrup, which we all know is so bad for us. But regular corn syrup is NOT the high-fructose .
Hi, what can I use as a substitute for hot coffee?
Hi Kent, You can use hot water, but the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes will be a bit muted (the coffee helps to enhance that flavor, the cupcakes do not taste like coffee).
HIGH ALTITUDE~bakers heads up, I live in Wyoming elevation 7165 and I made 3 batches first one would not rise, 2nd batch made high altitude adjustments that usually work and didn’t than I tried different ones on third batch….no rising~just so you are aware of this, the batter tasted delicious the Ganache tasted delicious! But just wanted to give heads up to help others….thanks for letting me do so.
Made these a few days ago. I found the frosting delicious (used my stand mixer and it worked fine) the ganache unnecessary (not really noticeable) and the cupcake itself too dense for my tastes. next time I will try with regular flour and no ganache. Definitely a dark chocolate lovers cupcake (my milk chocolate lover friend did not like it…….I told her she wouldn’t, but she didn’t believe me and had to try it). I used hersheys dark cocoa as it’s part dutch.
These cupcakes are phenomenal. Thank you for sharing This awesome recipe! They were fairly simple to make, I made sure to weigh all of my ingredients and they came out perfect. My only suggestion to others making these is to start with less ganache per cupcake, because I ran short toward the end and some cupcakes therefore had too much and fell apart when I took them out of the pan. You can always add more, but you can’t make it less once it’s on there! Another note is that I made the frosting with brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup and it was fine. It made a lot more frosting than I needed though, that’s for sure! Not that it didn’t get used :) Overall a wonderful recipe I will definitely be using in the future. Thanks again for sharing!
Definitely the best chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve made! I loved the texture and the flavor was amazing. I found that the flavor was even better on the 2nd day. The frosting wasn’t my favorite, it reminds me of store bought frosting. I’ll try the chocolate buttercream next time.
This turned out so good! So good information for making a cake. I’ll need to use your tips ;) this one looks amazing…
Has anyone tried freezing this cupcake? I wanted to make ahead for a party but I am concerned about the ganache filling not holding up once thawed.
Hi,
I have a quick question. I was wanting to use this icing on 9×13 cake, is this amount of icing enough to cover that size of cake? Thanks!
Hi Mary, Yes, it would be enough! Enjoy :)
Hi, in regard to the recipe for the chocolate cupcakes, which look amazing btw, I have a question. Can I use this batter also to make a cake ? Hoping to hear from you soon ! Bye, Myriam
Hi Myriam, I’ve never done so, but I know other readers have, with success. Enjoy!
Can the leftover frosting be frozen, or does that not work out well?
Hi Melissa, I’ve never frozen it, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I think it might be okay!
Hey there, I make this recipe quite often, it’s my favorite! For the first time today I noticed you have 3/4c bread flour and in brackets (117g). I always weigh my flour and had been weighing to the weight on the Robin Hood flour bag, which is 90g or 30g per 1/4c. Should your recipe read 1c bread flour (120g) or 3/4c (90g)?
Kindly,
Eilish
Hi Eilish, Some brands and some sites use different weights. I always use King Arthur Flour, but if the weight is on the bag you use, then I would go with that.
This is a great recipe, but it’s funny that the pictures have changes from the last one I printed out. I came to print another copy as my other copy didn’t print well the first time. The other pictures depicted a better image of the cupcake.
Hi Michelle,
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and my husband loves them!! I’m thinking I’ll make them for Thanksgiving this year, but was wondering if I could double the recipe? Or do you recommend one batch at a time?
Thank you!
Hi Lindsey, You can double it!
I made these tonight for a Christmas Open House at my in-laws’ place. Before my rant, please note these came out excellent and I got lots of compliments. The cupcake was very moist and flavorful. ‘Ooh’s and ‘Aah’s abound at the ganache filling. I used peppermint buttercream frosting with Andes peppermint baking chips mixed in instead of the chocolate frosting, because Christmas. Also this recipe gave me a good excuse to use some of my bread flour. See below for my minor complaints.I was a little frustrated with the chilling recommendations for the ganache and the coffee / chocolate mixture, as I felt I was going to ruin something if either were left in the fridge too long or taken out too early, causing me a bit of anxiety during the process. I’m not totally experienced with filled cupcakes, ganache, or using coffee and melted chocolate in cake batter, so I felt a bit ‘in the dark’ while running through this recipe, as there’s not much explanation.Hindsight being 20/20, I’ve determined that the goal with chilling the ganache is getting it to solidify enough so it will hold shape when scooped up and plopped on top of the batter. So if anyone has their own ‘hack’ for creating little perfect balls of ganache that will sit just right on top of the batter, use it and share with the rest of us please. If the blobs of ganache aren’t perfectly in the middle, they will leave large openings at the top of the cupcake. If you’re good at piping frosting you can just cover it up, but I’m not, so it ends up looking a little sloppy. I just need a better way of getting the ganache out of the bowl, into a small round blob, and then dropped perfectly in the middle of the batter.Peppermint buttercream recipe: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup? of Andes peppermint baking chips. Whisk the butter/shortening until fluffy, add sugar, salt and extract, mix until blended. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beat well after each addition. Turn mixer to high, slowly add cream until the consistency is right, adjust more or less. Mix in the Andes peppermint chips, adding until it looks right (I didn’t measure). The chips provide a nice little crunch (think mini chocolate chips, only peppermint flavored). One person commented the frosting was too sweet, so maybe omit the 1/3 cup granulated sugar if you’re worried about it.
I have never eaten a chocolate cupcake that I’ve actually enjoyed…until I made these! They truly are the ultimate. Now, I would choose one of these over most any cake! I ended up using all purpose flour because that’s what I had and the texture was spot on. Mine sunk slightly but I’m baking at high altitude so I will try them with the bread flour and see if that helps with the rise. I also omitted the coffee because of a religious belief and used hot water instead. Thank you for a delicious cupcake. My husband and kids loved them and you have forever changed my mind about chocolate cupcakes!!
Have you tried baking this batter as a layer cake?
Hi Emilee, I have never used this recipe to do a layer cake; my favorite chocolate layer cake recipe is the one I use in this recipe: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/peanut-butter-cup-overload-cake/
My family has named these their new favorite chocolate cupcakes, and they have had “suffer” through several recipes. Thank you for this one.
Great cupcake. i baked it, took out a plug and filled with some chocolate mousse. topped with whipped ganache.
Is this frosting stiff enough to hold a design if piped?
thank you
Hi Monica, I’ve used it to pipe frosting on top of cupcakes, and it holds the swirls just fine. Not sure what exactly you had in mind?
These sound fabulous! I’d love to try this frosting but don’t have a food processor. Only blender and kitchen aid mixer. Would either of those work? Thanks.
Hi Christy, Yes I would use the mixer!
I was intrigued with this recipe because I have never made a cupcake with vinegar, or ganache baked inside. This recipe may very well become my “go to” for chocolate cupcakes. The flavor is deep and rich. So is the color. Dense, but still light. I baked with all purpose flour, not bread flour. Still came out great. (I suppose bread flour would have changed the texture, but these were just fine in my book). One thing: next time, I won’t bake the ganache in the cupcake as the recipe gives as an option. The ganache kind of sunk to the bottom and ended up on the bottom of the paper liner. I think the cupcake stands alone and would be great with ganache or buttercream on top. I didn’t frost them this time, as I just wanted to test the recipe. I will make again, frosted with buttercream, or even dipped in ganache.
So…I made these cupcakes again, from just last night, because I wanted to try them using semi sweet chocolate chips (last night I used dark chocolate chips), and I wanted to leave out the ganache. These are WONDERFUL!!! My new “go to” recipe!!! Yay!!!! My question: as this recipe makes 12 cupcakes perfectly, can I double the recipe in the same bowls to make more?? Thank you!
Have you made this in a cake rather than cupcakes? Sounds delicious but I’m needing a new chocolate cake recipe and wondering how I would adjust this.
Hi Amy, I have not, but this is my very favorite chocolate cake: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/peanut-butter-cup-overload-cake/. (Obviously just the cake part – you can use it as a base for whatever kind of cake you’d like!)
Is it possible to use glucose instead of light corn syrup?
I have not tried that, but I think it could work!
My only cupcake recipe….made for every ocassion including birthdays, showers, weddings. My most requested recipe.
I cook the cupcakes without the ganache and, when they are cooled, make a hole on each cupcake to put the ganache in ……just like having a truffle surprise.
These freeze really well and taste just as good out of the freezer as when they went in….several months later.
They have enough chocolate flavour that mini cupcakes are good as well…..just watch the baking time.
This frosting is excellent, as well, on a white cake. The frosting and ganache an freeze too.
Love this recipe!!!!