Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the semisweet chocolate chips, dark cocoa/dutch-process cocoa powder, and boiling water until the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ¾ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

First, remove the moisture from the pumpkin puree. Spread the ½ cup of pumpkin puree on a thick stack of paper towels. Blot the pumpkin puree with the paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Continue to blot the puree until the pumpkin reduces to ¼ cup. 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 room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
Add in the dried pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix for several minutes to smooth out the buttercream.

Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 857 piping tip with the pumpkin spice buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cooled chocolate cupcakes. Use a fine mesh strainer to dust the top of the frosted cupcakes with cocoa powder.

Storing & Serving:

Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.

Recipe Tips: Scroll up the blog post to see expert cupcake baking tips and frequently asked questions to make the most out of this recipe.

Note: Metric conversions and nutritional information are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.