Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

I knew these cupcakes were a keeper from the first bite. These are ultra chocolatey. The chocolate cake portion is dark, rich and decadent but still fluffy. The white chocolate frosting is dense and billowy making it the perfect compliment to the chocolate base. Credits: Cake base adapted fromHalf-Baked Harvest's cake. Frosting recipe & decor: my own).

Serving: 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, at room temperature*

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

• ⅓ cup extra light olive oil or canola oil

• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup strong brewed coffee, hot

White Chocolate Frosting Ingredients (generously frosts 18 cupcakes, but can reasonably frost 32 cupcakes):

• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened at room temp

• 1 cups powdered sugar

• 4 oz white chocolate bar, melted & cooled slightly (white chocolate chips work equally well)

• 1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream

• Chocolate shavings or sprinkles, optional for garnish

Instructions

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line muffin pan(s) with 18 liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together: 1 egg, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup oil, and ½ Tbsp vanilla for 1 minute on med/high speed or until well blended.

4. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until no clumps of flour remain. You'll be really tempted to eat the batter.

5. Whisk in coffee and continue mixing until combined.

6. Divide batter equally between 18 prepared cupcake liners. Filling about ½ full. Bake 18-20 mins or until tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from cupcake pan then cool completely to room temp before applying frosting.

How to Make White Chocolate Frosting:

1. Beat together 8 oz pkg cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar (starting on low so you aren't covered in a cloud of powdered sugar, and beating until well blended and creamy (make sure no clumps of cream cheese remain or it will be difficult to pipe the frosting when done.

2. Melt 4 oz white chocolate bar according to package instructions on the stove or in the microwave just until melted when you stir it (don't overheat chocolate in the microwave or it will turn crumbly). Once chocolate is no longer hot but still liquid, blend it into your cream cheese mixture on high speed until well incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, beat 1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form (about 1 min on high speed). Don't over-beat cream or it will turn buttery and will be difficult to blend. Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated and smooth.

Assembling Cupcakes:

1. Once cupcakes are cooled to room temp, pipe or spread frosting over cupcakes, sprinkle with shaved chocolate and serve. I used the Wilton 2D closed flower tip to decorate, but in hindsight, the Wilton 1M would have been easier to pipe this frosting on. It's dense and fluffy and would have flowed easier out of a 1M.

#cupcake #chocolate