Picture this: a decadent chocolate cupcake topped with a velvety chocolate ganache icing. It’s a match made in dessert heaven, and it’s no wonder these cupcakes are a staple in our kitchen. They’re simple, they’re scrumptious, and they’re bursting with chocolatey goodness.
Here are some tips to elevate your chocolate cupcake game:
- Smooth Icing: For a silky smooth ganache icing, chop the chocolate into small pieces for easy melting, and use a hot cream mixture to ensure a seamless blend.
- Consistent Sizes: To keep your cupcakes uniform in size, use a measuring cup or piping bag to portion out the batter into cupcake liners. Since this batter is quite thin, pouring it into a measuring cup with a spout or a piping bag makes the process a breeze.
- Flavor Adventures: Feel free to get creative with flavor variations! Try adding a graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallow icing for s’mores cupcakes, or opt for a tangy cream cheese icing to contrast with the rich chocolate. Our personal favorite? Cream cheese icing with a hint of coconut, but really, the sky’s the limit when it comes to flavor combos.
Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- – 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
- – 2 cups of granulated sugar
- – ¾ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder preferably Dutch-processed
- – 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- – 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- – 1 teaspoon of salt use ½ teaspoon if using Morton salt
- – 2 large eggs
- – 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- – 1 cup of buttermilk
- – ½ cup of canola or vegetable oil
- – 1 cup of hot coffee
For the Chocolate Ganache Icing:
- – 5 ounces of chopped dark chocolate
- – 4 tablespoons of salted butter
- – ¾ cup of granulated sugar
- – ¾ cup of heavy cream
- – 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- – A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and oil to the dry ingredients, and stir until combined.
- Pour in the hot coffee and stir quickly until evenly distributed. The batter will be thin.
- Fill cupcake liners with the batter and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool.
- For the ganache, combine chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. In a small pan over medium heat, heat cream and sugar until hot but not boiling. Pour the heated cream and sugar over the chocolate mixture and let it sit for a minute before stirring until smooth. Chill until slightly thickened but still spreadable.
- Once cooled, ice the cupcakes with the ganache, and get ready to enjoy every chocolaty bite!
Notes
Pro tip: If you prefer a softer icing for piping, chill the ganache before whipping it slightly before icing. Just be careful not to over-whip!