Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (with Peanut Butter Frosting!)
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Dark chocolate cupcakes made from scratch (using real dark chocolate and special dark cocoa powder!) and topped with the silky smooth peanut butter frosting that I shared last week! Recipe includes options for other frostings as well.
Today’s post is yet another addition to my series of love letters to peanut butter and chocolate. I mean, is there even a better flavor combination than peanut butter and chocolate (if you can think of one, I want to know what it is!)?
I think the last time I combined the two was when I shared my peanut butter blossoms, so we’re about due for a new recipe.
Today’s dark chocolate cupcakes take the obsession to a whole new level. They’re soft and fluffy, but deeply darkly colored, rich and just ever so slightly bitter, as good dark chocolate ought to be. If you’re a dark chocolate fan I think you’re going to love these cupcakes.
And while I usually find the frosting on top of a cupcake to be a bit too much, too sweet, too sugary, I think that a nice sweet frosting (like Friday’s peanut butter frosting) is the perfect complement to a good dark chocolate cupcake.
I already have a chocolate cupcake recipe on the blog, but after a few recipe trials I realized that it required a few more changes than just swapping out the cocoa powder for dark cocoa powder.
After plenty of test runs, I finally ended up with a winning recipe, and it’s good, guys!
These dark chocolate cupcakes use special dark cocoa powder for their midnight color, and I also added 4 oz of real dark chocolate. The 75% variety is my preference, I would recommend anywhere between 55-75%, anything higher may make the cupcakes a bit too bitter.
You’ll want to chop the chocolate as fine as you can manage (ideally the pieces will be smaller than mini chocolate chips). I roughly chopped my chocolate bar into pieces and then used a large knife to mince it as if I were mincing garlic, it worked nicely.
If you don’t chop your chocolate finely enough, it will likely be too heavy for the thin cupcake batter and will sink to the bottom of your cupcakes. This isn’t the worst thing that could happen (I certainly wouldn’t complain about a dark chocolate bonus at the bottom of my cupcake) but ideally you want the chocolate pieces to melt into your cupcake batter.
As I mentioned, we’ll also be using dark cocoa powder. I do not recommend substituting natural or dutch processed cocoa powder as you won’t get the rich dark color or taste of dark chocolate, and that’s the whole point with today’s recipe.
I use Hershey’s brand, as that’s what’s available in my grocery store.
Tips for Making Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- This recipe calls for hot coffee, but if you don’t have hot coffee on hand, you can substitute hot water instead. However, if you have it, definitely use the coffee. It won’t make your cupcakes taste like coffee, but it will help enhance the chocolate flavor.
- It’s important that the coffee (or water, if using that instead) be very hot when you add it to your batter. If your sink doesn’t make produce very hot water (my hot sink water is literally scalding, so that’s what I use) you can heat the water in a saucepan on the stove before adding to your batter. The liquid needs to be hot because it will cause your cocoa powder to bloom — which means you will get a much richer chocolate flavor. It will also help to melt your finely chopped dark chocolate into the batter.
- Speaking of which, make sure your dark chocolate bar is chopped into extremely fine pieces. As I just mentioned, the goal is that it will mostly melt once you add the hot liquid.
- Don’t fill your cupcake liners higher than 2/3 of the way full with batter. If over-filled, your cupcakes will spread over the top of your cupcake pans.
If you don’t want to top your dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, you might want to try my chocolate frosting, cream cheese frosting, or vanilla frosting.
Also check out my other cupcake recipes including my easy (one bowl) chocolate cupcakes, my vanilla cupcakes, Funfetti cupcakes, and my pinata cupcakes!
Enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar , tightly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ¾ cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder, (see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (118 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil, may substitute vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk , room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 oz (113 g) dark chocolate, very finely chopped, I use 75%
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee*, or 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved into ½ cup hot water
- 1 batch peanut butter frosting, or your favorite frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line 2 12-count muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Add melted butter and oil, stir well.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (118 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add buttermilk and stir well, then stir in chopped chocolate.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup buttermilk, 4 oz (113 g) dark chocolate
- Add hot coffee, stirring until ingredients are well-combined (be sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl again).½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee*
- Evenly divide batter into prepared muffin tins. Do not fill muffin tins higher than ⅔ of the way full or the batter will spread out over the top of the pan and you'll have awkward and unappealing flat-topped cupcakes.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center should come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Allow to cool completely in the muffin tins before removing and decorating with your favorite frosting. I recommend using my peanut butter frosting.1 batch peanut butter frosting
Notes
Cocoa Powder
A few people noted that Hershey's has changed their cocoa powder from the one shown in my post. As of August 2021 I have tested the recipe with their new formula and it still works great here with no issues!Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This has become my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It’s so perfect. Be warned if you use it for layer cakes, it’s very delicate and can crack/break easily but that’s also what makes it so good. I have made it with and without the chopped chocolate and honestly I have found that I don’t miss it when I leave it out. I accidentally made too much for my last cake so now I have a tupperware in my kitchen where I am eating pieces of unfrosted cake like brownies. Yum.
I am so glad you enjoy it so much! 🙂
Hi
I want to make 48 cup cakes. Can I double the recipe or should I make two separate single recipes?
Kindly
Laurie
Hi Laurie! You shouldn’t have any issues doubling this batter. 🙂
Just wondering if adding the cocoa and chopped chocolate to the hot water would be a good idea… Thinking it might help enhance the flavour?
Hi Brenda! The flavor is already being enhanced by the hot coffee. 🙂
Hi, Each step says “Stir”. Would that still be with the paddle attachment or would i only use the paddle attachment for step 2?
Hi Rachael! You can do it all in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. 🙂
Hi,
I made these cupcakes today. They were delicious. Just couple of things- they rose quite a bit though I only filled 2/3 of the cup. They were super moist but still crumbly.
I baked a batch of cupcakes and then a cake. The cake turned out too crumbly. It fell apart as I removed it from the tin. It’s very moist and tasty though. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi Ashwitha! Were any substitutes made at all by chance? Another possibility could be if the cupcakes/cake were baked too long, even a minute or two too long could make them crumbly.
I’ve been making these cupcakes for every event and holiday. I follow this recipe to a T and they ALWAYS come out perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe! Also, I was wondering if you would know how much batter I would need to make it into a cake in a 9×13 pan? Would one batch work for that?
I’m so happy to hear this, Raven! Thank you for letting me know how they turn out for you! A single batch will work for a 9×13 pan. Enjoy! 🙂
So delicious and full of flavor!
made these tonight 3/19/2020 – I checked them about 2/3 of the way done and they looked fine were raising just fine, however when the timer went off – I looked in and the centers fell in. I used Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free and did everything else exactly to a “T” from your instructions.
I’ve been using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 for 2 years. The only thing I didn’t do was add 1/2 tsp of Xanthan Gum. Pls I guess your cupcake tins are big b/c I got 2 1/2 doz..
What do you think went wrong?
thanks,
Jodi
Hi, Jodi! I am sorry that you experienced an issue with this recipe. If your cupcakes sunk most likely this is a result of over-beating the batter. By doing so, it can cause too much air to get into the batter. The air then collapses, along with your cupcakes. Regardless, I hope that they tasted delicious. 🙂
I can’t wait to make these! One question… Why not just melt the 55% to 75% dark chocolate first as opposed to chopping it and adding it to the batter (using the hot coffee to melt it)?
Thanks,
-Fino
Hi, Fino! The chopped chocolate blended with the hot coffee combines the ingredients of the batter and enhances the flavor. 🙂
Chocolate with peanut butter is great, but even better with coconut! I’ve been looking for a great coconut frosting recipe forever.
Do v hv to use granulated or powder sugar …
Granulated sugar. 🙂
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe! How many 8” inches rounc cale would it make?
Hi, Jenn. I am not sure as I haven’t tried making this in cake form. 🙁
This recipe makes a perfect 2 layer 8″ cake
They look delicious!Am trying it today, i was looking for chocolate cupcakes and this one caught my attention the coffee mix with the batter😋😋..
I hope you love them, Leslie! 🙂
Looks delicious. Where do you add the chopped chocolate? If I want to generously frost the 24 cupcakes would you recommend I double your recipe for the peanut butter frosting?
Add it just after the buttermilk (before the hot coffee) and yes, to generously frost I would double the peanut butter frosting. I hope you love the cupcakes, Lorley!! 🙂
Hi Sam –
These look so good. What a beautiful color!! Can this convert to a cake instead of cupcakes?