Milk Chocolate Cupcakes With Dark Chocolate Icing Recipes

SUPER MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners - this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until combined. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then half of the buttermilk. Gently whisk for a few seconds. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir until *just* combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
• Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only halfway (this is imperative! only halfway!) to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking.
• Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. I usually let them cool in the pan.
• Frost cooled cupcakes however you'd like. I used chocolate buttercream and Wilton 1M piping tip for these pictured cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

MILK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Sift the cake four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• Melt chocolates and water over low heat in a double boiler.
• In a mixer with a paddle attachment, slowly cream butter and 8 ounces of sugar. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, with a mixer and wire whip attachment, whip egg whites and 3 ounces of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring glass. Fold melted chocolate mixture into butter mixture. Alternately fold the flour mixture and milk mixture into the butter mixture. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 full and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place a cupcake liner into each section of an 8-cupcake tin. Whisk together flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and reserve. Combine sour cream and buttermilk in a small bowl and reserve. Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg and egg white and beat an additional 1 minute. Add 1/3 of flour-cocoa mixture, then 1/3 sour cream buttermilk mixture, mixing well after each addition. Repeat with remaining dry and wet ingredients. Distribute batter evenly among 8 cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool slightly, transfer to wire racks and cool completely, 10 to15 minutes.
• Combine confectioners' sugar and milk in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate and stir until melted and icing is the consistency of thick pancake batter; add more milk if necessary. While still warm, top each cupcake with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons icing. Let icing harden completely, about 10 minutes.
• Place cream cheese in a small microwave-save bowl and microwave on high for approximately 10 to 15 seconds, until cream cheese is melted but before it begins to bubble. Add confectioners' sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let mixture cool slightly and transfer to a small plastic bag. Snip just the very bottom corner of the bag, then force icing to bottom of bag. Pipe a squiggle of icing down the center of each cupcake.

GHIRARDELLI® DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cupcake molds or muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
• To make the cupcakes, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk in the milk, coffee, and melted butter. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake molds, filling them about three-quarters full.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, remove the cupcakes from the pan. Continue to cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
• To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl, over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Heat the cream until hot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Transfer to a bowl and cool to just warm. Whisk in the butter until smooth. Let sit until it reaches a spreading consistency, about 1 hour. Spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle them with chocolate chips.