Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted by: Maggie

Things have been kind of cupcake heavy around here lately. Last month we had Annie's homemade funfetti, and my pumpkin spice cupcakes for two. A couple weeks ago, Annie shared some deeeelicious looking peanut butter cupcakes that had me wishing I lived up in NJ, just so I could try one. 

Hopefully you guys are cool with the cupcake excess. I figure as long as we're bombarding you with sweets, and not like...liver, or haggis you'll keep coming back.

I made these cupcakes earlier this month for my dad's birthday, and we were both in agreement that they're mighty tasty! They're a dark chocolate cake, filled with a bittersweet chocolate ganache, and topped with a chocolate sour cream frosting. They're intensely rich, but not excessively sweet thanks to the use of bittersweet chocolate, and dark, dutch-processed cocoa powder.

I hope all of our U.S. readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow with your friends and families! Don't forget to enter our Anthropologie apron giveaway if you haven't already. The winner will be randomly selected next week!

For the cupcakes (yields 13-14)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream

For the ganache filling:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

For the frosting:

(if you don't like a 1:1 cupcake to frosting ratio like me, cut this recipe in half!)

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted after measuring
6 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons full-fat sour cream

To make the cupcakes, adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if using a non-stick cupcake tin.) Line 14 cupcake wells with paper liners. Important note: obviously this recipe makes too much batter for one cupcake pan. I do not recommend baking the extra cupcake pan containing two liners at the same time as the full pan. The cupcakes will bake unevenly.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa. Microwave on 50% power for 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted. Set aside to cool until slightly warm to the touch.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder to combine.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on low speed. Add in sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture, and beat until combined. Pour about one-third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined, and then mix in the sour cream. Add in the remaining flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined. The batter will be thick and mousse-like.

Divide the batter evenly among cupcake tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake!

Cool cupcakes completely before filling with ganache and frosting.

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on full power in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Stir, and continue heating at 15 second increments until fully melted. Remove from the microwave, and transfer to freezer. Allow the mixture to chill for 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to promote even cooling. When the mixture has cooled and thickened, and is no longer runny, fill the cupcakes.

To fill the cupcakes, remove the core using one of the many handy cupcake coring doodads on the market these days (I got one at Target for about $6,) or just use a knife. Or an apple corer, whatever strikes your fancy. Fill the hole in the cooled cupcakes with the ganache, and set aside while you make the frosting.

To make the frosting, add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on 50% power for 30 second increments, stirring after each increment until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool until barely warm. (This is important - if you add it to the other ingredients when it's too warm it will melt the butter and ruin your frosting!)

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat in the cooled, melted chocolate, and lastly, the sour cream. Continue beating on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Use immediately, and refrigerate any leftover