These death by chocolate cupcakes are a chocolate dessert lover’s dream come true. The cupcakes are made with dark chocolate cake, filled with chocolate pastry cream, and frosted in rich and creamy dark chocolate frosting. This is the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe!
Ingredients for Death by Chocolate Cupcakes
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- Semisweet or dark chocolate chips – For intense chocolate flavor.
- Black cocoa powder – Black cocoa adds rich chocolate flavor. You can substitute with dark unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Boiling water
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
Dark Chocolate Frosting
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Use dark chocolate if you prefer.
- Black cocoa powder – Black cocoa powder adds intense chocolate flavor and a dark chocolate color. If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use dark cocoa powder instead.
- Water
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Corn syrup – Light corn syrup.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt helps to contrast the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Milk – Use 2% milk or whole milk for extra creamy pastry cream.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch works as a thickening agent in this recipe.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Egg yolks – Large egg yolks. Save the egg whites for Swiss meringue buttercream.
- Dark cocoa powder – Dark cocoa powder adds a rich dark chocolate flavor. You could substitute with regular cocoa powder.
- Semisweet chocolate – Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
- Salted butter – Cold and cubed.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor.
Tools & Supplies for Making Death by Chocolate Cupcakes
How to Make the Death by Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Combine the chocolate chips, black cocoa powder, and boiling water. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the liners and bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the dark chocolate frosting: Melt the chocolate chips and set aside to cool. Stir together the black cocoa powder and hot water. Set aside. Whip the butter for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt and mix to combine. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture followed by the cocoa mixture. Mix the frosting for a few minutes until it is smooth and shiny.
- Make the chocolate pastry cream: Scald the heavy cream and milk. Whisk the cornstarch, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until smooth. Drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and cook until thickened. Whisk in the chocolate, salted butter, and vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature and then chill for 6 hours before using.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill the cupcakes with the chocolate pastry cream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the chocolate frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes to learn simple tips and tricks to baking up the best dark chocolate cupcakes.
- Make the chocolate pastry cream a day ahead of time so it can chill in the refrigerator and thicken.
- Use an apple corer to remove the center of the cupcakes.
- Dark chocolate frosting has a softer consistency than regular chocolate buttercream frosting. If it seems too soft, chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and then mix on low speed.
- The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Death by Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup black cocoa powder substitute with dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dark Chocolate Frosting
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 6 tbsp black cocoa powder
- 6 tbsp hot water
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Chocolate Pastry Cream (Make Ahead)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole or 2% milk divided
- 2 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp semisweet chocolate chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 tbsp salted butter cubed
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs optional for garnish
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the semisweet chocolate chips, black cocoa powder, and boiling water. Mix until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dark Chocolate Frosting
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the semisweet chocolate in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the black cocoa powder and hot water until combined and smooth. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined. Turn the speed of the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting for 2 minutes.Â
- Add in the cooled melted chocolate and black cocoa mixture, and mix on low speed until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and mix the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
Chocolate Pastry Cream (Make Ahead)
- Add the heavy cream and ¼ cup milk to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat the cream while working on the next step. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, cornstarch, egg yolk, and the remaining ¼ cup milk until smooth.Â
- Once the cream mixture starts bubbling at the edges of the saucepan, remove the saucepan from the heat. Very slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Be sure to drizzle slowly and whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture so it does not turn into scrambled eggs.Â
- Once all the hot cream has been added to the egg mixture, pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and is bubbling about 3-5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Add in the semisweet chocolate, salted butter and vanilla extract and whisk until the chocolate and butter are melted and the pastry cream is smooth. If lumpy, pour the pastry cream into a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Use the back of a spoon to push through the pastry cream to remove any lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 6 hours before using.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Core the cupcakes to remove the center. Fill a piping bag with the tip cut off with the chocolate pastry cream. Fill the center of the cupcakes with the pastry cream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the dark chocolate frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies if desired.
Notes
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