The Cupcake Collective No. 2: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

For these cupcakes, I used Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcake recipe but instead of unsweetened chocolate I used dark chocolate (I've tried Valrhona, Dove, or Cadbury. They all do fine.). For frosting, I whipped up some white chocolate buttercream. 
The dark and light color contrast makes for very chic-looking cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake 
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see Note)
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5–10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm 5–10 minutes.

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30–40 minutes.


White Chocolate Buttercream

Makes 2 3/4 cups

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
12 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy.

Comments

Meg said…
seeing your choco cupcakes starves me and i want those. its mouth watering cupcakes
Anonymous said…
hi. what's a good substitute for buttermilk?