Indulge yourself with this recipe for Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting. It’s a heavenly moist and fudgy chocolate cake topped beautifully with dark chocolate, cream cheese frosting.
Don’t you just love a good cupcake? There’s just something about a cupcake that just fills me with nostalgic excitement. I got the inspiration for these from my amazing Classic Devils Food Cake with Ganache Frosting, and gave these cupcakes a cream cheese icing twist!
And when a cupcake is pretty – it just screams ‘Taste Me, you won’t be disappointed’ and I promise you these little beauties will taste as good as they look.
The best part of these cupcakes is the deep chocolate taste with just the right amount of sweetness.
These decadent cupcakes are perfectly chocolaty with a soft and moist crumb and that dark chocolate, cream cheese frosting – try not to eat it by the spoonful before you top the cupcakes!
Why This Recipe Works
- Using Dark Chocolate instead of milk chocolate deepens the flavor of the frosting.
- Using extra cocoa powder instead of sugar thickens the frosting without the added sweetness.
- Adding coffee to the batter enhances the deep chocolate taste of the cake.
How to Make The Perfect Cupcake
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
When you use eggs or milk straight out of the refrigerator, they won’t combine as well with the dry ingredients that are at room temperature. Poorly combined ingredients can also cause cupcakes to be too dense rather than fluffy and light.
Don’t Over Mix
Over mixing the batter will result in a cupcake that’s denser, with a tighter grain (almost bread-like). So be careful not to overbeat the batter.
To ensure proper mixing, beat cake batter on low until ingredients have just combined or when in doubt, use a wooden spoon once the butter and sugar are creamed.
How Far To Fill The Cupcake Papers
There is much debate on how much to fill a cupcake liner. Many recipes will say to fill them 3/4 of the way full, but not all ovens are created equally and the cake rises differently depending on the oven.
I fill mine almost to the top and use an ice cream scoop to fill the papers with batter. This ensures the cake fills the paper and a uniform size across the entire batch.
Keep That Door Closed!
Avoid opening the oven door during baking. Opening the door lets heat escape and lets in the cold air causing uneven baking, especially with cupcakes. If you want to check on them as they bake, just peek through the oven window.
You should also Bake cupcakes on the center rack in the middle of the oven for the most even baking.
How to Tell When A Cupcake Is Done
There are several ways to tell if a cupcake is ready to come out of the oven, but it’s not always easy to judge. I’m here to make things a little clearer.
Test your cupcakes by gently tapping the top. If they feel springy and bounces back, you know they’re done.
If the cupcakes jiggle in any way, it means they need more time in the oven.
If you’re new to baking and want to double-check, you can also use a cake tester by sticking it into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, your cupcakes are done.
Cool Out Of the Pan
Remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool. Once your cupcakes are out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to cool out of the pan. Keeping them in the pan will allow them to continue baking and may dry them out.
These are some of the most amazing cupcakes (or cakes) I’ve ever made! They are light, moist, and oh so irresistible!
I know I do a lot of chocolate cake recipes, but this is one of my new favorites!
Here’s how to make them:
Add cocoa powder, instant coffee, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl.
Add hot water.
Mix until smooth and set aside.
Next, in a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and the eggs.
Mix well and add half the flour mixture.
Followed by the cocoa mixture. (alternating until fully combined).
Divide evenly into a cupcake pan (I use an ice cream scoop).
Bake 20-25 minutes and cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the frosting, start with softened butter, cream cheese, and melted chocolate.
Mix well to combine.
Add vanilla, salt, dark cocoa powder, and mix until smooth before adding the black food coloring.
Mix until combined and the desired color is achieved (be aware that the color will deepen more as it sits).
To make the rose-shaped frosting is super easy too! I used a large Wilton 2D Tip (pictured below) which you can get here, on Amazon (#paidlink).
I just swirled them from the middle out (see the video for how it’s done). Nothing really fancy. If you want to practice, you can just scrape it off and do it again until you get it the way you want.
Top Tips:
- Be careful not to overbeat the batter. To ensure proper mixing, beat cake batter on low until ingredients have just combined. Over mixing the batter will result in a cupcake that’s denser, with a tighter grain (almost bread-like).
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. When you use eggs or milk straight out of the refrigerator, they won’t combine as well with the dry ingredients that are at room temperature. Poorly combined ingredients can also cause a cake to be too dense rather than fluffy and light.
- Avoid opening the oven door. Opening the door lets heat escape and lets in the cold air causing uneven baking, especially with cupcakes. If you want to check on them as they bake, just peek through the oven window.
- Bake cupcakes on the center rack in the middle of the oven for the evenest baking.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool. Once your cupcakes are out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to cool out of the pan. Keeping them in the pan will allow them to continue baking and may dry them out.
What Chocolate?
- To avoid icing that’s too sweet, use dark chocolate that is between 54- 66% cocoa, I use Couverture Dark Chocolate Callets (54.5% Cacao). It’s the only chocolate I bake with. You can get it on Amazon by clicking here (#paidlink)
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Let's Make Devil's Food Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 stick softened butter plus some for greasing if not using liners
- ¾ cup sugar superfine or granulated
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces Dark chocolate melted (see recipe notes)
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional (to cut sweetness)
- ½ cup unsweetened dark or black cocoa powder sifted
- 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- Black gel food coloring optional (as needed)
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 C.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, instant coffee, brown sugar, and hot water. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.
- Add eggs, one at a time with a cup of the flour mixture in between eggs. Mix in the half the flour mixture followed by half the cocoa mixture followed by the cocoa mixture (alternating until fully combined).
- Divide the batter evenly into 12 cupcakes and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the melted chocolate with the softened butter and cream cheese.
- Add the cocoa, vanilla extract, salt and ½ cup of the powdered sugar adding another ½ cup of the sugar until smooth and desired consistency. If using, add the black food coloring a little at a time (mixing in between) until the color deepens to your liking.
- Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Tips + Notes
Tips:
- Be careful not to over beat the batter. To ensure proper mixing, beat cake batter on low until ingredients have just combined. Overmixing the batter will result in a cupcake that's denser, with a tighter grain (almost bread-like).
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. When you use eggs or milk straight out of the refrigerator, they won't combine as well with the dry ingredients that are at room temperature. Poorly combined ingredients can also cause a cake to be too dense rather than fluffy and light.
- Avoid opening the oven door. Opening the door lets heat escape and lets in the cold air causing uneven baking, especially with cupcakes. If you want to check on them as they bake, just peek through the oven window.
- Bake cupcakes on the center rack in the middle of the oven for the most even bake.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool. Once your cupcakes are out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to cool out of the pan. Keeping them in the pan will allow them to continue baking and may dry them out.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in Jan of 2017, but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions & photos, baking tips, and a video in September of 2018.
Taqdis says
How long will the frosting be okay when refrigerated?
Erren Hart says
Hi, stored in a covered container for 3-5 days
Tina Grant says
Do you have to make any adjustments for high alltitude
Erren Hart says
Hi Tina, I’m not sure as I don’t like at a high altitude. Here’s an article that might help though http://dish.allrecipes.com/high-altitude-cake-baking/
Kim says
Frosting problem* My frosting color turns slightly grayish and not as shiny look as your recipe here. I used dark chocolate nibs to melt and nearly 0.88oz black color to mix in but still not getting that dark chocolate color. What went wrong?
Erren Hart says
Hi Kim, without being with you and knowing the exact products you used, it’s really hard to say. Could be the dark cocoa powder or chocolate are not as deep in color as mine. It’s hard to say, but try adding dark brown food coloring as well as the black to avoid and grey color. Either that or skip the food coloring altogether and stick with lighter-colored frosting. Hope this helps.
Emilia says
Is it 500cals per cupcake or for 12 of them???
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Emilia, It is per Cupcake!
Lily says
I found this recipe not to be chocolatey enough and to be a bit bitter from all the cocoa powder so I also melted down some semi sweet bakers chocolate to incorporate into the batter which I found gave it the fullness I was looking for.
Erren's Kitchen says
Glad you found a way to make it work!
Maya says
How much frosting will it make?
Erren Hart says
About 3 cups. Enough to pipe onto 12 cupcakes.
Terri says
Would have been nice to know the icing with black food coloring needs to sit for the color to take. Mine turned gray so I threw it out. I later googled it to find out what I did wrong and every recipe said LET IT SIT A FEW HOURS. 🙁
Erren's Kitchen says
At least you found a way to make it work for you, Terri! It does depend on what brands you use also.
Nal says
My cupcakes where a disaster
and I was so embarrassed in front of my bf jst imagine if his family where to taste them
Erren says
I’m sorry to hear it, Nal. If you give some more info maybe I can help.
Arthi says
Hi. Lovely recipe. Can I use Dutch process cocoa powder instead?
Erren says
Absolutely!
Karen Teeling says
Just a heads up . . . there’s a typo in your printable recipe: “Mix in the halt the flour mixture followed by half the cocoa mixture followed by” I’m sure it is supposed to say Mix in half – not halt Just thought you’d want to know. Making these today . . . can’t wait to taste them! Thank you
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi, Karen Thanks for letting me know about the typo, all fixed! Hope you enjoy!