These double chocolate cupcakes are so easy to make. They are light, but so chocolaty. We top each cupcake with a spoonful of sour cream chocolate frosting — a frosting that’s between pudding and buttercream. It’s rich, chocolaty and delicious.
We add coffee to this recipe — you don’t really taste the coffee. It’s there to bring out as much chocolate flavor as possible. If you don’t want to use coffee, water will also work. Also, you can make the sour cream chocolate frosting a day in advance — just keep covered in the refrigerator.
12 tablespoons (170 grams or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (175 ml) brewed coffee
1/2 cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 grams) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (55 grams or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 to 80 grams) sour cream
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper baking cups in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat then add coffee and warm through. Remove from heat then whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Cool 1 minute.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream and the vanilla extract until well blended.
Gently stir the cocoa and coffee mixture into the flour mixture until combined. You do not need to beat, just stir until incorporated. Add the egg and sour cream mixture and continue to stir until blended.
Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full then bake until a tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer butter and chocolate to a medium bowl then whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
Whisk in the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. The frosting should be loose, but spreadable. Add more sour cream as necessary. Refrigerate 30 minutes. (The frosting will thicken slightly after refrigeration).
Check the consistency of the frosting — if it is a little too loose, refrigerate it for another 30 to 45 minutes. It thickens slightly when cold.
To frost cupcakes, spoon or spread a generous tablespoon on top of each cooled cupcake.