Today is World Chocolate Day and thank goodness it is! Whip up these cupcakes super quick and celebrate this beautiful world chocolate day the only way it should be - with chocolate!
I'm reusing my ultimate chocolate cake recipe, which you can find in my Chocolate Mini Egg & Nutella Next Cakes and my Creme Egg Cupcake recipes, however, because it's World Chocolate Day, I revamped it!
The combination of the different chocolates, milk, white and dark, blend together so fantastically to get the perfect sweet, rich, bitter, and decedent taste!
These include a delicious rich dark chocolate ganache, tonnes of milk and white chocolate chips, and a sweet white chocolate buttercream. There's plenty of chocolate in these babies!
Don't be afraid of having a go at the ganache. It's super easy as long as you add the cream gradually, and it just add that extra chocolate flavour to the sponge.
And, because I'm all about supporting local business, I took a trip to my local chocolate factory, The Secret Truffletier, and stocked up on their baking chocolate (and of course I treated myself to lots of other chocolate because I need to go all out for World Chocolate Day).
I have to say they do the best chocolate in the world so it made these cupcakes extra delicious, but any good quality chocolate will do! I recommend using cooking chocolate because it responds better under heat.
Have you got any plans for World Chocolate Day? I'll be sitting down with a cuppa and one of these chocolate cupcakes for sure.
Also, did you know this is Caking It's TWENTIETH recipe?! Make sure to look through the website; there's cupcakes for every mood!
Let's get Caking It!
Recipe
180C (170C fan)
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 20 mins
Assemble: 10 mins
Ingredients
Sponge
150g gluten free self-raising flour
60g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
100g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
100ml vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
50 ml boiling water with 2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp sour cream
75g milk chocolate chips
75g white chocolate chips
Filling
80ml double cream
100g dark chocolate
Frosting
100g unsalted butter
300g icing sugar
100g white cooking chocolate
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Method: Sponge
This method is the same for my Chocolate Mini Egg Nest Cakes recipe and Crème Egg Cupcakes recipe. As usual, don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.
Start with the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum to a bowl and whisk to fully incorporate.
In a separate bowl, mix the oil, sugars and vanilla extract. Then, add the eggs one at a time, whisking with an electric whisk between each addition until slightly frothy.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a fork to incorporate. Don’t overmix but ensure that all the ingredients are fully mixed, and the batter is smooth. At this point the batter should be thick.
Boil the water and add the instant coffee to it. Slowly pour it into the batter while mixing until it is glossy. This will take some welly but keep persevering because the batter will become smooth, glossy and a delicious brown shiny colour.
Add the sour cream and chocolate chips to the cake batter and give it a final quick mix to incorporate.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, adding 1 and 1/2 tbsp to each case and let sit for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes. A skewer inserted into the sponge will come out clean.
Method: Buttercream
This richness of the dark chocolate goes perfectly with the sweet white chocolate buttercream.
While the sponges are cooling, make to the buttercream.
Cream the butter until pale, and gradually add in the icing sugar until it is all incorporated. You can do this either with a standing mixer, an electric hand whisk, or a fork. At this point the mixture should be a little stiff.
Chop the white chocolate into small chunks and melt in 20 second increments in the microwave. Wait a few minutes to let cool slightly and then pour into the buttercream and beat until nicely incorporated.
Method: Ganache
Ganache is an easy and delicious filling for cupcakes but is often considered too difficult! Have no fear, it's a simple method with great results!
Chop the dark chocolate into small chunks and place in a glass bowl.
Pour the double cream into a glass jug and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until bubbling and steaming.
Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
Stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully incorporated.
If there are still chunks of chocolate left then place in the microwave in 5 second increments until fully smooth and glossy.
If the consistency is too thick, pour another 10ml of cream into the glass jug and heat in the microwave until bubbling and steaming, then pour into the ganache and mix until fully incorporated.
Assembly
Making sure the sponges are completely cool, scoop out the middle of the cupcake with an apple corer, taking care not to go right down to the bottom.
Spoon a little ganache into each cupcake hole.
Pipe on a good layer of the white chocolate buttercream.
Place the remaining ganache into a piping bag and pipe zigzags over the buttercream, then finish with chocolate pieces.
Enjoy!
