Don’t you just love a good cupcake? There’s just something about a cupcake that just fills me with nostalgic excitement. I got the inspiration for these from my amazing Classic Devils Food Cake with Ganache Frosting, and gave these cupcakes a cream cheese icing twist! And when a cupcake is pretty – it just screams ‘Taste Me, you won’t be disappointed’ and I promise you these little beauties will taste as good as they look. The best part of these cupcakes is the deep chocolate taste with just the right amount of sweetness. These decadent cupcakes are perfectly chocolaty with a soft and moist crumb and that dark chocolate, cream cheese frosting – try not to eat it by the spoonful before you top the cupcakes!
Why This Recipe Works
Using Dark Chocolate instead of milk chocolate deepens the flavor of the frosting. Using extra cocoa powder instead of sugar thickens the frosting without the added sweetness. Adding coffee to the batter enhances the deep chocolate taste of the cake.
To ensure proper mixing, beat cake batter on low until ingredients have just combined or when in doubt, use a wooden spoon once the butter and sugar are creamed. I fill mine almost to the top and use an ice cream scoop to fill the papers with batter. This ensures the cake fills the paper and a uniform size across the entire batch. You should also Bake cupcakes on the center rack in the middle of the oven for the most even baking. Test your cupcakes by gently tapping the top. If they feel springy and bounces back, you know they’re done. If the cupcakes jiggle in any way, it means they need more time in the oven. If you’re new to baking and want to double-check, you can also use a cake tester by sticking it into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, your cupcakes are done. These are some of the most amazing cupcakes (or cakes) I’ve ever made! They are light, moist, and oh so irresistible! I know I do a lot of chocolate cake recipes, but this is one of my new favorites!
Add hot water. Mix until smooth and set aside. Next, in a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the eggs. Mix well and add half the flour mixture. Followed by the cocoa mixture. (alternating until fully combined). Divide evenly into a cupcake pan (I use an ice cream scoop). Bake 20-25 minutes and cool completely before frosting. To prepare the frosting, start with softened butter, cream cheese, and melted chocolate. Mix well to combine. Add vanilla, salt, dark cocoa powder, and mix until smooth before adding the black food coloring. Mix until combined and the desired color is achieved (be aware that the color will deepen more as it sits).
Top Tips: What Chocolate? Update Notes: This post was originally published in Jan of 2017, but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions & photos, baking tips, and a video in September of 2018. Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
