Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Try this Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks or 345g) unsalted butter
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4-5 tablespoons brewed hot coffee
- Carbohydrate 41.6004331442635 g
- Cholesterol 670.291666660039 mg
- Fat 119.733813858542 g
- Fiber 3.34966044653909 g
- Protein 18.6361416015824 g
- Saturated Fat 71.9142973662587 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (700g)
- Sodium 886.51022824136 mg
- Sugar 38.2507726977244 g
- Trans Fat 8.89862076217477 g
- Calories 1285 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. This recipe makes 12-14 cupcakes, so prepare one pan (or maybe two) with cupcake liners.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between each time. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment; add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream and whisk on medium speed until smooth. (about 1 minute)
- In a medium sized bowl, sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until thoroughly combined.
- Add the cooled butter/chocolate to the stand mixer and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time with the stand mixer on low.
- As soon as you are done adding the flour turn the mixer off. (You do not want to over-mix!)
- The batter will be very thick.
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The center of the cupcake should spring back up if gently pressed.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. (should be about 1 1/2 minutes total)
- Place room temperature butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer, starting on low, then increasing speed to medium-high. Cream together until light, fluffy, and a pale yellow.
- In a separate bowl, add 4 tablespoons of hot coffee to cocoa and stir. If the mixture is still very thick, you can add 1 more tablespoon of hot coffee.
- Turn the mixer off and add in cooled chocolate and cocoa/coffee mixture.
- Turn mixer on to the lowest setting and add in confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once incorporated, turn mixer on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Frosting will darken as it sets.
- Make sure cupcakes are cool before frosting.
- Garnish with sprinkles (chocolate jimmies) if you want!
Baking dense chocolate cupcakes in a compact kitchen requires precise management of heat and gluten development. When melting the 2 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate and 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, use 30-second microwave increments. Stir thoroughly between intervals to prevent scorching the solids. Overheating breaks the fat emulsion, resulting in a greasy crumb.
Room temperature dairy components matter significantly here. Eggs and 1/2 cup of sour cream must sit on the counter until they match ambient room temperature. Cold ingredients seize the melted butter instantly, creating curdled pockets that disrupt the final crumb structure. Whisk these wet components on medium speed for precisely one minute until completely emulsified.
Flour incorporation dictates whether the cupcakes turn out tender or tough. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together first to aerate the dense powders. Add this dry mixture gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, while the mixer runs on low. Stop the motor the exact moment the flour disappears. Over-mixing activates gluten networks, yielding a rubbery texture rather than a light, springy sponge. Fill the liners two-thirds full and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes. The centers must spring back when gently pressed.
For the frosting, combining hot coffee with cocoa powder blooms the solids, intensifying the chocolate flavor without adding excess water. Cream the 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese until pale and fluffy before incorporating the sugar gradually. Scale recipes carefully if adjusting yields; altering flour ratios without proportional fat adjustments will ruin the hydration balance.
