Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

A friend recently requested chocolate cupcakes with coconut frosting for her birthday treat. She was very specific; she wanted a bite-sized dessert that would taste like a Mounds candy bar. After doing a recipe search and not finding exactly what I was looking for, I decided to wing it. Since I wanted a moist and very chocolatey cupcake, I went with a recipe for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes that I've had great results with. The batter is made with sour cream and two kinds of chocolate (bittersweet and cocoa powder). Yumm!

I made a basic cream cheese frosting and flavored it with a little coconut extract, vanilla and sweetened shredded coconut. I mounded a blob of icing onto each cooled cupcake, swirling it around to make it look pretty then garnished it with a bit more shredded coconut. The result was a perfect Mounds Cupcake. My friend was so excited when she saw them, and even more excited once she took a bite.

These delicious dark chocolate cupcakes go great with a variety of frostings, such as cream cheese, vanilla, or berry (strawberry, raspberry). Enjoy!!!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

-recipe from Cook's Illustrated (March 1, 2005)

This recipe does not double very well. Cupcakes made from a doubled batch and baked side by side in the oven yield a slightly compromised rise. It's best to make two separate batches and bake each separately. Store leftover cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Makes 12 cupcakes. 

 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (1 1/2 ounces)

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

2 large eggs 

3/4 cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces)

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)

Blog parties I'm linked to:

Cupcake Carnival

Cupcake Tuesday

Tuesdays at the Table

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tuesday Tastes

Delicious Dishes

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Chocolate Fridays