Dark chocolate cupcakes with ganache are super decadent, chocolaty cupcakes topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles. Perfect for the chocolate lover!
Last weekend's visit to Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica left me thinking about dark chocolate cupcakes. I love the summer and all the fresh fruit that comes with it but I've been missing my chocolate.
I was looking to create a decadent dark chocolate super moist cupcake. I think I may just have hit the nail on the head. I'm not crazy about buttercream so I've topped this cupcake off with a bittersweet ganache instead.
To make a dark chocolate cupcake, I added some quality fresh brewed coffee to the batter. Don't worry, your cupcakes will not taste like coffee. Coffee or espresso powder is often used in chocolate cake and cupcakes to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Tips for Making Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
- The batter is really liquid. Don't panic. The cupcakes will turn out just fine.
- Use good quality chocolate for the best taste. I use King Arthur Flour Dutch Processed Cocoa and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Since making these cupcakes, I've come to realize that not all chocolate sprinkles are created equal. I used regular grocery store sprinkles. I only wish I had found these sooner: Guittard makes really fine chocolate sprinkles made with real chocolate and will make your cupcakes taste and look better. To read more about it, in my post The Best Chocolate Sprinkles.
- Only fill your cupcake liners ⅔rds or your batter will overflow.

Other Suggested Frosting for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Classic Vanilla Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Coffee Buttercream
- Chai Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache
Dark chocolate cupcakes with ganache are super decadent, chocolaty cupcakes topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles. Perfect for the chocolate lover!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tbs unsalted butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 6 oz fresh brewed coffee
- 1 egg
- 1 yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
For the ganache finish:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4.5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Sift together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda in an electric mixer bowl.
- Warm the butter, cocoa powder, coffee, and chocolate chips in a bain marie until the chocolate and butter are melted. Let the mixture cool and then add it to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Mix the egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk together. Add the egg mixture to the other ingredients and mix to combine.
- Fill your muffin tins ⅔ of the way and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until they spring back when touched. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
For the ganache finish:
- Heat the heavy cream in saucepan just until it boils. Add a pinch of salt to the hot cream and then pour it over the chocolate chips in a bowl.
- Allow the mixture to sit for a minute and then gently stir it until the chocolate and cream come together to form the ganache. The ganache will thicken as it cools.
- When it has cooled, spoon it over the cupcakes or turn your cupcakes upside down and dip it into the ganache. Garnish with sprinkles if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
This nutrition information is only an approximate provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. Information comes from Nutritionix, an automated nutrition calculator.
Rachel says
Swoon! These look absolutely incredible! I must give these a try as I adore anything with ganache. Also, thanks so much for the great instructions - it's very helpful to this amateur baker!
Rachel
Kathryn says
Wow! I'm totally drooling. You should try this recipe for sweet potato cupcakes- they're my all-time favorites!
Sharon says
Tried the recipe and the cupcakes tasted great with a rich chocolate taste yet not too sweet. However, I think I may have done something wrong cos I ended up with 24 cupcakes and the cooking time for each tray took about 15minutes though the temp was 350F. Any advice?
Urvashee says
Hi Sharon,
It makes sense that you ended up with 24 cupcakes since the recipe yield is 12 regulars plus 24 mini. As far as oven time goes it can really vary depending on your oven and how many trays are in it. My oven tends to be on the warmer side so things cook faster. The best way to tell is just to keep an eye on your cakes and test it with a skewer once it springs back to touch on the top. Hope this helps.