Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
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Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes are the unforgettable, perfect chocolate cupcake recipe you’ve been searching for. Rich, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with creamy and sweet frosting are exactly what you want for birthdays, class parties, or chocolate lovers any day of the week!
While I was relaxing outside, a light summer breeze that only evenings have to offer gently swept across my face, and I slowly sank my teeth through that whipped, lightly tangy, kissed with cocoa frosting and into the cupcakes fluffy, tender crumb with a moisture that was bound to stick to my teeth, then my taste buds touched that rich yet perfectly sweet chocolate divinity I knew my search was over. Pure bliss? Yes, it was.
The secret to this recipe is that I adapted it from one of my all time favorite cupcake recipes that I recently created, my Red Velvet Cupcakes. I knew how similar red velvet is to chocolate so I knew it would be fairly easy to create this one. Let me tell you I have been having a rough time creating the perfect white cupcake, maybe this was much easier for me because chocolate is my true love. Why settle for white when you can have chocolate? Life isn’t complete without it.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes
My reason for choosing to pair this frosting with this cupcake is because I often get a brownie at a local bakery with a Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting and it goes perfect with the rich chocolate brownie. I’ve been meaning to make the frosting at home for quite some time now and I knew this was the cupcake for it. I love how well the frosting’s gentle cream cheese flavor, along with the light taste of chocolate and it’s sweet buttery richness compliments the chocolate cupcake.
I didn’t want an overpowering frosting, just one that would highlight the cupcakes perfection. And with a cupcake so incredible I’d say fancy frosting technique is required. I absolutely love the way the world famous Hummingbird Bakery decorates their cupcakes so I adapted that technique to frost these cupcakes.
It’s whipped perfection with a pronounced indentation to hold a generous pile of sprinkles right in the center. If it looks better it will taste better that’s my theory. This is chocolate at it’s finest. Enjoy and indulge a little!
P.S. in the unlikely event that you have any left over frosting, simply refrigerate it a few hours until firm and enjoy it by the spoonful – it tastes just like fudge when it’s cold!
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup butter , melted
- 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup salted butter , firm but not cold
- 6 oz cream cheese , cold
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and baking soda. Carefully pour in boiling water and whisk until bubbling subsides and mixture is well blended, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in egg and egg yolk, mixing just until combined after each addition. Blend in lukewarm cocoa mixture then blend in heavy cream. Slowly mix in flour and blend until combined, while scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 19 - 21 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Sift cocoa powder into mixture then blend until combine (you'll want to sift it to break up any lumps). Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.
- Notes: chocolate cupcake recipe updated 2/3/13
- Recipe Source: Easy Cooking Zone