Dreamy double chocolate cupcakes
These cupcakes are frightfully good – I’ve lost count of how many I’ve demolished so far during recipe testing. I reckon if you’re going to the effort of baking, you might as well make it as epic as possible. So it was full-steam ahead with the chocolate for this one! Use a good quality cocoa for the cake, the best you can find (the darker the better).
Makes about 20 cupcakes.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
225g butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 ½ cups caster sugar
3 free-range eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla essence or paste
2 cups standard/plain flour
¾ cup dark cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
Real chocolate icing
125ml (1/2 cup) cream
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
125g butter, at room temperature, cubed
4 ½ – 5 cups icing sugar
Method
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 180°c conventional bake. Line 2 x standard 12 pan muffin tins with cupcake liners (24 total – just do them in two batches if you only have one muffin tray).
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl, and stir with a whisk to combine evenly. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater or cake mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon lots of elbow grease – this will take some time!) for about 10 minutes until very pale and very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides half way through.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition and scraping down the sides with a spatula each time. Beat in the vanilla essence.
In three parts each, alternate adding thirds of the dry ingredients and the milk. With each addition, mix gently (don’t beat) until the ingredients are just incorporated – but at the end, the mixture should be smooth. Again, scrape down the sides as you go.
Use two spoons to scrape the batter into the cupcake liners just over ¾ full, and bake in middle of the oven for about 16 minutes, or when no longer wobbly on top. Remove from the oven and repeat with the other half of the mixture.
Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Icing
Place the broken up chocolate and cream in a heatproof (i.e. metal, pyrex or ceramic) bowl that fits neatly over a saucepan with about an inch water in it (the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Simmer until the chocolate melts, stirring gently at the end to combine. Cool until lukewarm (if it’s too warm it will melt the butter later). Don’t let it go hard though.
Beat the butter and 2 cups of the sifted icing sugar in a large bowl (or cake mixer) until light and fluffy. Add a spoonful of the chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and beat again to combine. Sift in most of the remaining icing sugar and continue to beat until smooth. If you think it’s too wet, add a little more icing sugar until it’s a good piping consistency.
Spoon into a piping bag and ice the cooled cupcakes. (To make the rose like I have, start in the middle and go outwards in a circle, applying quite a bit of pressure. I used a large star shaped nozzle). If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a resealable Glad bag with a corner snipped off, or even just spread the icing on with a knife.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
i made these for a volunteer job and everyone loved them. i use Dutch cocoa powder and instead of mixing it in the electric beater, after the eggs and vanilla are mixed in, i get a big spoon and fold the rest of the ingredients into it. it makes the cakes lovely and soft almost like a sponge. have just made another lot for Easter for family and friends. thanks Chelsea for such a wonderful recipe.
Looking forward to making these, just wondering which cookbook they come from? I’m trying to decide which to buy next :o)
Just made these and they are probably the nicest cup cakes Ive made..thnx nice recipe
Chelsea, you are amazing.
Made the best cupcakes – ever, thanks to you! Love your down to earth style and clear love of good food.
Hi Chelsea, how would I make these gluten free? Would I just change the flour to gluten free flour? Thanks
Yes :)
It’s fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.
Very Nice Article…
Thank you Chelsea! after a few years of searching for ‘the one’ I have found it! delicious!!
Omg! So easy to make and I’ve just put them in the oven, if they taste half as good as the batter itself, I’ll be making another batch just for mum and dad when the kids are asleep!
Hi Chelsea, do you think this icing would be appropriate to use on a decorative birthday cake – I’m making a rainbow shaped birthday cake and going to cover the icing in coloured sprinkles for the rainbow effect, so need a thick chocolate icing – this one looks really good. Many thanks!
Hi Chelsea, I have just made these cupcakes, they are the best I have ever made and I am going to throw away all my other recipes. I ended up making 30 smallish ones, but in a standard silicone muffin trays, I used milk not cream on the icing (as I did not have cream)….. Blumin awesome. Thanks heaps. Donna
Hi Chelsea, I have been looking for a double chocolate muffin recipe with chocolate chunks. Would you recommend adding chocolate pieces to the batter? Thanks!
Give it a go!
Hi Chelsea Winter,
these cupcakes are the best ever!
please text more awesome websites about your awesome foods! :0 omg!
MY 2nd BATCH OF CUPCAKES ARE BURNING…
Hi Chelsea. Was just wondering if you could use self raising or plain flour instead of the all purpose? Many Thanks.
Plain is the same as all-purpose :)
Very yummo recipe, even though I was short on butter and Icing sugar!! Also had no cream for the icing so used the Lewis road chocolate milk in the fridge instead. Very decadent :)
Incredible cupcakes… made these for the church sale…was a hit there. I have finally found the ultimate cupcake recipe that I have been searching for a while. Thank you for the recipe.
Just had to say, my 11 year old just searched up your recipe. She said it is by Chelsea Winter and they never fail! We LOVE your recipes!!
Hi Chelsea. Fantastic cupcake recipe. Does it cool ok as a cake? Looking for a good cake recipe to make a stacked topsy turvy cake
Use my Italian Chocolate Cake recipe for that :)
Hi Chelsea the cupcakes are devine! How long can I store in airtight container before putting frosting for my kid’s birthday? Also is icing or buttercream bettee for cupcakes?
wow i just made these i may have slightly underdone them but they were fabulicious!!! Im in heaven and in danger of eating the whole batch to myself :D thank you for this recipe it will be my go to cupcake recipe from now on!!
First batch in oven. Smelling devine. Easy user friendly recipe!
Hi chelsea do you think it would work if I used this for just a normal cake? Rather than cupcakes?
Hi Chelsea – I just made these cupcakes which turned out superb but I have a lot of frosting left over, can I freeze it? if not how long will it keep in the fridge? Thanks
It will last up to 5 days in the fridge x
Hi Chelsea, I just made these gluten free by substituting the 2 cups of flour for 1 cup ground almonds, 1/2 cup coconut flour and 1/2 cup gf bake mix. I also added 100g 72% Dark Ghana chocolate, melted and used 1/2 cup less sugar. They turned out perfect and are delicious!!
I’m just about to try your recipe :)
Hi Chelses, my daughter makes these and theh are great and have never failed.
Could you make this receipe as a cake.
These are the most incredible cupcakes! I made them for my daughters 3rd birthday last month and used white chocolate instead of the dark so I could colour it and it was so delicious I used the recipe again for her cake for her party! Thanks so much Chelsea! Your recipes never fail to amaze me :)
Hi Chelsea, I am making theses for my son 1st birthday . Black and white theme could I use normal white chocolate instead for icing or what would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Chelsea, if you are making and icing the cupcakes a day beforehand, do you store in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature? Thanks
In the fridge in an airtight container. Leave at room temperature before using to soften up x
Awesome recipe Chelsea. Delicious cupcakes, even the mixture tasted amazing. Best chocolate icing recipe I’ve found too. Thank you.
Hi Chelsea..my daughter loves these (she stole one) but she’s coeliacs, would they still come out ok if I used the gluten free baking mix? Thanks
Give it a go – should be okay.
Hi Chelsea, This looks like a great cupcake recipe! Is it possible to freeze the cupcakes defrost then ice, am planning to make for a party and want to get as much prep done before the day! Thanks
Hi there, I wouldn’t freeze them – keep in an airtight container a day before :)
Hey Chelsea, could you recommend a brand of cocoa that you are using?
Thanks again for another amazing recipe
Hi, I use Avalanche or Equagold.
Hi Chelsea,
How’d you get your icing so shiny? My icing came out grainy and matt, although it taste good.
The chocolate may have seized a bit – next time just add a little liquid cream when you add the first bit of chocolate to the icing.
Hey Chelsea, I’m going to try these with gluten free flour blend instead as I have coeliacs and see how they go :)
Hi Chelsea, my cupcakes rose up in pyramid type shape how can stop that happening? Thanks :)
Hi Lana, try putting a little less in the cups next time and see how that goes.
Could I use white chocolate for the icing instead?
Yes!
Thank you for sharing another yummy recipe which I shall love making. I don’t have your book so getting these recipes are much appreciated :)
Hi chelsea. I am just wondering roughly how long you beat the butter and icing sugar for?? Thanks.
Probably about 5 minutes :)
Hi Chelsea can you use a Electric beta to be in the flower and milk
It would risk over-beating it, best not to! x
These look sooo good, and the recipe is almost the exact same as mine, i will be making these in the next week or so. I can not wait (although they aren’t so good for my diet ;))