Moist chocolate cake filled with creamy dark chocolate ganache and topped with a rich chocolate buttercream – if you’re craving chocolate, these Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are for you!
This recipe is dedicated to all Chocoholics – YOU are my people.
These Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are intensely chocolate and (just might) solve all the world’s problems…
Ok, so maybe not all the world’s problems, but it sure has helped some of mine:
Argument with a friend? Chocolate never questions your friendship…
Lower back pain? Chocolate soothes…
Lost my job? Chocolate is always hiring tasters…
Chocolate has your back…so do it justice with these crave-worthy cupcakes.
Key Ingredients for Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes…
- Use high-quality cocoa powder
- Mayonnaise (slightly unusual cake ingredient) is basically eggs and oil (normal cake ingredients) and helps keep the cake MOIST
- Measure your ingredients carefully, i.e.: scooping and leveling the flour
For the Ganache…
- Use a high-quality chocolate – I prefer semi-sweet but your favorite dark chocolate could also work – the more intense the flavor the better
- Heavy Cream – do not use half-and-half here, it won’t set properly (been there….)
For the Frosting…
- Use high-quality cocoa powder (noticing a pattern yet?) – the cocoa and butter are the stars here, and because of that…
- Use a high-quality butter too
- A pinch of salt helps bring out the flavor, don’t skip it!
- Vanilla helps round everything out (don’t forget to add it until you’ve finished frosting like I did that one time frosting hundreds of cupcakes for a friend’s wedding…oops)
The Process – How To Make Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
First, start with the ganache.
“But Jennifer, don’t I have to bake the cupcakes first so they can cool for filling and frosting?”
The ganache needs to set in the fridge to frim up so it can be spooned into the cupcakes. Once the ganache has been prepped, pop it in the fridge until you’re ready for it.
Once that is out of the way, make the cupcakes.
While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting.
At this point, you’re ready to start eating everything straight from the bowl assembling.
Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Medium and Large Mixing Bowls
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Muffin Tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Small Knife
- #20 disher (1 ⅝oz) (optional)
- Frosting Tips and Frosting Bag (optional)
Ingredients
For the Ganache
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pinch table salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup "real" mayonnaise I used Hellman's with Olive Oil
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the Ganache
- There are a couple of different ways to do this:You could warm the heavy cream on the stove in a small sauce pot, or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave, and pour it over the chocolate to melt it…You could combine the heavy cream and chocolate chips in a sauce pot on the stove, or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave, and gently warm them together…melting the chocolate.
- I usually go the microwave route (fewer dishes)…Combine the heavy cream and chocolate chips in a medium microwave safe mixing bowl.
- Heat for 10-15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until melted. Stir until smooth.
- Add the pinch of salt and vanilla, stir to combine.
- Set aside in the refrigerator until ready for use.
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Line muffin tin with baking wrappers. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and cocoa).
- Add mayonnaise, hot water, and vanilla and mix with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix.
- Evenly fill each muffin tin about ⅔ of the way full, or use a #20 disher.
- Bake cupcakes for 20-22min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool for about 5min in the muffin tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30min).
For the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla and salt.
- Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined (about 2min).
- Once all ingredients are combined, mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For Assembly
- Using a small paring knife, remove a small cone-shaped piece of cake from the center of each cupcake.Do NOT fully core the cupcake and remove all the way down to the wrapper – aim for the bottom of the hole you cut to be about halfway through the cupcake.Reserve the bits you cut out – you'll need these later.
- Using a spoon, scoop rounded balls of the chilled ganache large enough to fill the cored cupcake. Do not overfill.
- After filling each cupcake, pick up the piece of cake you cut out, squish it down a little to flatten it. Place it on top of the ganache filling.
- Frost cupcakes as desired.I used a piping bag and Ateco tip #287. Feel free to use whatever piping tip/technique you prefer, or use a palate knife and swirl the frosting on.
Notes
Need More Chocolate?
Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Chocolate Cupcakes with Whiskey Caramel Filling
