Category Archives: Cupcakes

The Best Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

July 8, 2017 Chelsweets 12 Comments

I’m starting a cupcake series on my YouTube channel, and plan to use this recipe as my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe! After testing out several different recipes, it’s by far my favorite! It’s a modified version of the Brown Eyed Baker’s chocolate cupcake recipe. I am a huge fan of one-bowl recipes, and have done my best to make this cupcake recipe as easy as possible!

I replaced the dutch-processed cocoa with black cocoa powder, to really give these a beautiful color, and to intensify the taste! The best comparison is to think of the bittersweet, chocolaty taste of an Oreo cookie!

I only recently discovered black cocoa, and I’m obsessed. Black cocoa has a slightly higher pH than dutch-processed cocoa (8 vs.7), and is much less acidic than natural baking cocoa (5-6). However, this is optional, and you could also use regular cocoa if that’s what you have on hand.

I always frost my cupcakes with a half batch of my American buttercream, and usually use a Wilton 1m tip (open star) or a Wilton 2D tip (closed star).

Chocolate Cupcake Batter:

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup (28 grams) black cocoa powder
¾ cup (177 ml) hot water + 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
¾ cup (117 grams) flour
¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate American Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup black cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Filling: Chocolate Ganache

Yield: 14 cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 18 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Fill measuring cup with very hot water, and add in espresso powder. Stir until combined, then pour into a bowl. Add the chocolate chips and black cocoa powder. Let this sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir until no chunks remain.

Add the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and gently mix. Pour in chocolate espresso mixture, and stir until just combined, being sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. Next, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and back for about 18 minutes. Once a toothpick comes out clean (or with minimal crumbs), remove from oven. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place in the freezer for 15 minutes (to accelerate the cooling process).

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the chocolate frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the cocoa powder half way through, along with the heavy cream. Once all the powdered sugar is added, mix in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, it’s time to fill them! Remove the center of the cupcakes using the wide end of a frosting tip, and add chocolate ganache to the center of each cupcake. Pipe on a large swirl of frosting, using a Wilton 2D tip. If you don’t have any frosting tips, you can always use a zip lock bag and just trim the tip to have a 2 cm opening.

To make these a bit more fun, I also added drizzle some warmed up ganache over the frosting, and grated some dark chocolate over the top of the cupcake!

Classic Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

July 3, 2017 Chelsweets 9 Comments

I’m about to start a cupcake series, and plan to use this recipe as the base recipe for all my cupcakes. After testing out several different recipes, it’s my favorite and now my go to! It’s a slightly modified version of Life Love and Sugar’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.

I swapped out the regular milk and used buttermilk (my personal preference!), and made it all in one bowl! I hate making extra dishes, and always try to simplify recipes when baking.

I always frost my cupcakes with a half batch of my American buttercream, and usually use a Wilton 1m tip (open star).

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cup (162g) all purpose flour
1 cup (212g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120ml) water

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Yield: 12-14 cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 17 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and gently mix. Add the buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined. Next, add in the water, vanilla, and vegetable oil, and mix until the batter comes together. Next, mix in the egg until well combined.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 way full, and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the vanilla frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the heavy cream half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, add a large swirl of buttercream. I used a Wilton 2D tip, but you can use whatever you prefer! If you don’t have any frosting tips, you can always use a zip lock bag and just trim the tip to have a 2 cm opening.

I also added a bit of gold leaf to these cupcakes to jazz them up! I gently added the gold leaf using a sterile paint brush and sheets of 23k edible gold leaf. I purchase mine on amazon!

Cupcakes, Sweets, Uncategorized

Mermaid Tail Cupcakes

June 30, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

Building on the mermaid cake trend, I wanted to make some mermaid cupcakes! They’re the first cupcake of a cupcakes series I’m starting on YouTube, and I wanted to kick things off with something colorful! I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, which is a slightly modified version of Life Love and Sugar’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.

I swapped out the regular milk and used buttermilk (my personal preference!), and made it all in one bowl! I hate making extra dishes, and always try to simplify recipes when baking.

I always frost my cupcakes with a half batch of my American buttercream, and usually use a Wilton 1m tip (open star).

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cup (162g) all purpose flour
1 cup (212g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120ml) water

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla

Additional Items:

white fondant
tylose powder (optional; accelerates the drying of the fondant)
rolling pin
pastry cutter
purple, sky blue, and green food coloring
mermaid colored sprinkles (I used these from Neon Yolk Shop!)

Yield: 12-14 cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 17 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Divide the batter evenly between 3 bowls, and color one a light purple, one a light blue, and one green. Alternate spooning the different colored batters into the cupcake liners, to created a layered look.

Fill the cupcake liners about 1/2 way full, and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the mermaid tails. Color 1/2 cup white fondant light purple, 1/2 cup light blue, and 1/2 cup light green using gel food coloring. Knead the color into the fondant, twisting and pulling until the color is evenly spread throughout the fondant. Add 1/2 tsp of tylose powder to each color, to accelerate the firming process. If the fondant gets sticky, let is rest for a few minutes, then resume kneading. Combine the three colors into one long log, and twist the colors together. Roll this out, the fold one more time repeat to blend the colors together.

Cut out a 2 inch mermaid tail from cardboard, and use this a template to cut out 12 mermaid tails. Use the wide end of a round frosting tip to make a webbed patter at the end of the tail. Flip the frosting tip over, and use the smaller opening to make the scales on the tail. Use a fondant tool of knife to score the tail. Place on parchment paper and set aside for at least 2 hours to harden.

Next, prepare the vanilla frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the heavy cream half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Divide the frosting between 2 bowls, and color one light purple, and the other light blue using a drip of gel food coloring. Place the light purple into a frosting bag with a round opening ( I just cut my piping bag to have a 2 cm opening). Place the light blue frosting a separate bag with an open star tip (Wilton 1M).

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, add a swirl of purple buttercream. Pour mermaid sprinkles into a small bowl, and dunk the cupcake into the sprinkles to cover the frosting entirely.

Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake, and then gently insert the fondant mermaid tail into the center of the swirl.

Cupcakes, Holiday Treats, Sweets

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

February 8, 2015 Chelsweets 3 Comments

Valentine’s day is right around the corner, and I wanted to make some festive cupcakes for my coworkers. I ended up making dark chocolate cupcakes with a raspberry compote filling, pink vanilla buttercream, and pink and red sprinkles. I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, which is inspired by one of my favorite baking blogs, the Brown Eyed Baker.

4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Compote Filling

1 bag frozen raspberries (2 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Pink Vanilla Buttercream

4 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks of butter, room temperature (1 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1/4 heavy cream
1 squirt of pink gel food coloring

Yield: 14 Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chocolate pieces and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes, until it has cooled to room temperature.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, about 12-14 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the raspberry compote. Heat a saucepan to medium heat, and cook down the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool.

Next, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter and salt on high using a hand mixer or KitchenAid, until the butter is light and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar over several installments, alternating with splashes of cream. Mix in the vanilla and salt, and mix on high until all ingredients are fully incorporated, and the frosting is light and fluffy. Add in the gel food coloring, and mix until the frosting is an even color.

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, cut out the centers, and fill them with a rounded tablespoon of the cooled raspberry compote. Sprinkle red and pink nonpareils over the cupcakes, then frost a swirl onto the cupcakes using a open star tip, and add a heart sprinkle to the top of each cupcake.

I frosted some of the cupcakes with a heart, instead of a swirl. I also made mini and regular sized cupcakes. The mini’s bake for about 11 minutes. I really liked the way both cupcakes looked, and I think my coworkers did too 🙂

Cupcakes, Sweets

Pinterest Inspired Christmas Cupcakes

December 21, 2014 Chelsweets 1 Comment

As I trolled pinterest during my Christmas break, I came across a lot of adorable cupcake ideas. I decided to make cupcakes for a Christmas gathering this weekend, and got a little carried away decorating them…I baked a basic chocolate cupcake base, and topped it with my favorite vanilla buttercream. I used gel food coloring to color the frosting as needed, and used some some sugar pearls for decoration.

Chocolate Cupcake Base:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups hot coffee
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup canola oil

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Sea salt, for garnish
1/4 cup heavy cream

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Pour hot coffee over chocolate, and let this sit for a minute. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted, then add in the sugar, flour, and oil. Mix until fully combined, then mix in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, baking powder, salt, oil, and vinegar, and mix until incorporated. I mixed by hand, but you can also mix with a hand mixer. Pour batter into lined cupcake pans, filling each liner 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cupcakes are just baked through, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from pans, and let them cool on a wire rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, prepare the vanilla buttercream. Whip the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until it is fluffy. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, adding it in multiple installments. As the frosting thickens, add the salt and vanilla. Continue to mix, and add cream until desired consistency is reached. Color 1/3 of the frosting red, 1/3 green, and leave the remaining third uncolored.

Decorate as desired. I used a leaf tip to make the poinsettia cupcakes (red frosting), and a closed star tip to make the roses (plain buttercream), and wreaths (green buttercream).

Cupcakes, Sweets

Peanut Butter Snickers Cupcakes

December 21, 2014 Chelsweets 1 Comment

I can always rely on my mom to have a decently stocked candy cupboard at home. Sure enough, when I arrived home for Christmas I was happy to find a giant bag of peanut butter snickers. Of course, my first thought after seeing them was a peanut butter snickers cupcake 😛

Chocolate Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Garnish:

1 Bag Peanut Butter Snickers
Sea salt
Crushed peanuts
Chocolate ganache (equal parts heavy cream and chocolate)

Begin by preheating oven to 350ºF. Line 2 regular muffin pans with cupcake liners. Combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low. Add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and completely combined. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare peanut butter buttercream. Whip the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until it is fluffy. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, adding it in multiple installments. As the frosting thickens, add salt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Continue to mix, and add additional cream until desired consistency is reached.

Frost the cupcakes with a swirl using a closed star tip. Drizzle cooled ganache over the top of the frosting, and garnish with crushed peanuts, sea salt, and a chopped piece of peanut butter snickers 😀 Next time I make these, I think I’d also try drizzling some salted caramel over the top.

Cupcakes, Sweets

Reeses Chocolate Cupcakes

November 16, 2014 Chelsweets 2 Comments

I received a phenomenal cupcake order this week: A request for Reese’s Cupcakes 😀 I used my favorite chocolate cake base, topped with a fluffy peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache, crushed peanuts, sea salt, and a mini Reeses.

Chocolate Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Garnish:

1 Bag Mini Reeses
Sea salt
Crushed peanuts
Chocolate ganache (equal parts heavy cream and chocolate)

Frost the cupcakes with a swirl using a closed star tip. Drizzle cooled ganache over the top of the frosting, and garnish with crushed peanuts, sea salt, and a mini Reeses 😀

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A little bit Chelsey, a whole lot of sweet!