How to make perfect homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with easy, hand-whipped chocolate ganache frosting and dazzled with chocolate bits.
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Just about all of us know someone who is a die-hard chocolate fan or happens to be one ourselves. I am talking about those of us who love chocolate on top of chocolate that is coated with a little more chocolatey goodness for the most blissful and decadent of desserts. For these chocolate fanatics, there is almost no comparison from other sweet treats and their flavors. Sure, other desserts are tasty and are wonderful to have around at times of the sweet tooth attack but, for them, nothing compares to the one true king of sweets. Luckily, for all of you chocolate lovers out there, I have the perfect recipe for the dreamiest homemade chocolate cupcakes imaginable!
These cupcakes are completely chocolate inside and out from the traditionally delicious chocolate cakes to the dreamy hand-whipped chocolate ganache frosting. I realize how this all might sound intricate and time-consuming but I’m happy to inform you that the whole recipe is delightfully easy from start to finish! Even the whipped ganache frosting is a breeze to whip up! I made this particular batch of cupcakes for my daughter so we decided to dazzle them up even more with some pink foil cupcake liners. The end result? Fancy cupcakes that look and taste like they came from a professional bakery!
Kitchen Equipment for Making Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
Start by rounding up the kitchen tools you will need for this cupcake recipe. If you have to dig through cabinets and the deepest corner of your pantry to get all the equipment you need then you can at least relax knowing that this will be the most challenging part of the whole process…except for the clean up perhaps.
Equipment and Tools:
- KitchenAid Electric Hand Mixer
- Glass mixing bowls
- Silicone spatulas
- Blending whisk
- Food wrap
- Saucepan
- Drying rack
- Dough scoop
- Cupcake pan
- Piping bags
- Piping bag ties
- Jumbo piping tips
- Swivel Peeler
- Pink foil cupcake liners
- I prefer foil cupcake liners to paper ones because they do not soak up the moisture and get soggy or tear up after baking the cupcakes.
- 4 cupcake containers
Dreamy Ingredients for Chocolatey Bliss
After you’ve foraged up your long-lost baking equipment, it is time to round up the chocolatey ingredients that make up these tempting treats. Within this list of cupcake ingredients, I have included some side notes and tips to help you along your baking journey. These tips are to help you make sure that your cupcakes turn out top-notch and seemingly professional from the comfort of your very own kitchen.
Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or cake flour
- I prefer to use cake flour because it makes the final texture and moisture of the cupcakes way closer to the bakery-style.
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- Bringing the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature will help them mix into the batter better, will help to make the cupcakes fluffier, and will help them bake more evenly.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ingredients:
- 2 cups Whipping Cream
- 16 oz chocolate chips
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cupcake Garnish:
How To Make Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
Now we get to move on to the fun part, whipping up some kitchen magic! If this is one of your first times making homemade cupcakes then I would suggest giving yourself a little extra time than what you’re expecting, just to be on the cautious side. However, if you’re familiar with this baking process then this cupcake recipe will be a breeze for you to whip together.
Tip: Your handmade whipped ganache frosting will need a few hours to chill properly so you can whip it up and have it chilling before starting on the cupcake batter for ultimate time optimization.
Making the Cupcakes:
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Then, line a 12 cup cupcake pan with the foil cupcake liners.
- Next, in a large glass mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate medium-size mixing bowl drop in the room temperature eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract then beat them all together using the electric hand kitchen mixer.
- Next, pour half of the combined dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture and whisk together using the blending whisk. Add in the other half of the dry ingredients and mix again until just completely combined.
- Do not over-whip the cupcake batter! Over-mixing the batter can lead to tougher cakes that result from the batter spilling over during the baking process which causes the cupcakes to sink in the middle. To prevent this I highly recommend using a whisk instead of an electric mixer for this step.
- Then, use a small (1.58 inch) ice cream scoop to spoon the perfect amount of chocolate cupcake batter into the foil cupcake liners.
- Again, it’s important to scoop just the right amount of batter into the liners so the cupcakes don’t spillover and sink in the middle. If the batter rises up over the sides of the liner during the baking process then the center is likely to sink.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Finally, let the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack.
More Cupcakes Recipes
Whipping Up the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- Start by pouring the chocolate chips into a large glass mixing bowl.
- Next, in a small saucepan combine the whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Heat the mixture until it is hot and starts to bubble but do not let it boil.
- Then, remove the hot cream mixture from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Mix the chocolate and cream thoroughly with a silicone spatula or blending whisk until it reaches a smooth consistency, then cover the bowl with plastic food wrap.
- Cool the homemade ganache completely in the refrigerator, about 1-3 hours.
- Occasionally unwrap and mix the chocolate ganache while it chills.
- After the ganache has cooled properly, use an electric kitchen mixer with a whisk attachment set on medium speed to beat the ganache for about 5 minutes or until it is fluffy and forms stiff peaks.
- Lastly, transfer the whipped chocolate ganache to a piping bag that has been lined with a metal piping tip. Tie off the piping bag with a bag tie.
Garnishing the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- First, pipe the homemade whipped chocolate frosting onto each cupcake.
- Then, use the swivel peeler to shave the chocolate bar over the frosted cupcakes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Successfully Transporting Fully Decorated Cupcakes
Now it’s time for the truly tricky part…safely transporting the chocolate cupcakes from the kitchen to the party or sale location without having to face any kind of disaster. If you’ve ever traveled with homemade cupcakes before then you know exactly what I’m talking about. You spend all day mixing and whipping up beautiful handmade cupcakes and perfecting the frosting swirls only to have them crash into each other and destroy all your hard work on the way to their final destination. Fret not! There is a wonderful solution to this problem. Cupcake containers can be used to safely and successfully transport these fancy birthday cupcakes to any location. What a relief, right?!
Here’s how to transport your homemade cupcakes the worry-free way:
- Carefully transfer the decorated chocolate cupcakes to these plastic cupcake boxes that have individual slots for each cupcake.
- This will keep the cupcakes from crashing into each other and messing up the swirled frosting.
- If you prefer paper container options you can opt for some paper cupcake boxes. These also have individual cupcake spots to keep the cupcakes in place during travel plus they each have a cute window display for that homemade gift look.
- Set the boxes of cupcakes in a secure spot inside the vehicle, somewhere they won’t be jostled or tip over, and you should be good to go!
This is also a great option if you want to deliver these homemade chocolate cupcakes to friends, family, or coworkers. Or if your little one’s birthday lands on a school day then box these up to send some birthday treats to share with the class.
Sharing Your Tasty Baking Success
You probably already have an event, holiday, or special occasion coming up that you plan to feature these cute cupcakes at. However, once you try one of these little delights you’ll probably be hunting down any excuse possible to make them again! Not that you need a reason to whip up another batch but here are a few to think about anyway. Just remember to keep in mind that this recipe is enough to make 12 regular-sized cupcakes.
You can swap up the color of the foil cupcake liners to easily coordinate with any party, holiday, or celebration such as:
- Kid’s birthday party
- A bake sale
- Baby shower
- Wedding shower/engagement party
- Cookouts and family gatherings
- Family movie or game night
- Match the color of the liners to your kid’s sports team colors to celebrate at the end of the season party.
- Hosting a sports game watch party at your house? Use different colored foil liners to match your favorite team’s colors.
- Top with some homemade Chocolate Hearts and Lips for a fun and festive Valentine’s or Galentine’s treat!
Whatever the occasion you are planning, plan to make it unforgettable by adding some homemade deliciousness to the event. Whether it’s a birthday party, a baby shower, or a family cookout, these handmade chocolate cupcakes topped with whipped chocolate ganache frosting and shredded chocolate bits are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face!
Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or cake flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
Chocolate ganache frosting
- 2 cups Whipping Cream
- 16 oz chocolate chips
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- In a medium bowl whisk using the hand kitchen mixer eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Whisk between each addition using a kitchen hand mixer. Add the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Spoon cupcake batter with a small (1.58 inch) ice cream scoop onto the liners.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate ganache frosting
- Place chocolate chips in a large glass bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Heat until hot and starts to bubble.
- Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Mix it thoroughly with a spatula or whisk and cover with plastic wrap. Keep mixing ganache until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Cool completely, about 1-3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Using an electric kitchen mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed, beat the ganache until fluffy and forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a metal piping tip.
Garnish
- With a swivel, the peeler shaves the chocolate bar over the frosted cupcakes.
Video
Notes
- The recipe makes enough frosting to decorate 12 cupcakes.
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