If you are a chocolate lover, you need these triple chocolate cupcakes in your life! Moist chocolate cupcakes are filled with a rich bittersweet chocolate ganache. The cupcakes are then topped with the most delicious, creamy and chocolatey buttercream frosting for the best triple chocolate cupcake you'll ever taste.
Best chocolate cupcakes
These are a departure from my go-to chocolate cupcakes that contain coffee in the batter and are oil-based.
These chocolate cupcakes start with the traditional method of creaming the butter and sugar together. Nex you add an egg and vanilla extract. Then the wet and dry ingredients get alternated into the butter and sugar mixture to form the delicious chocolate cupcake batter.
Why alternate wet and dry ingredients?
After adding the egg and vanilla, you’ll alternate pouring in the sour cream/buttermilk mixture with the dry ingredients. Alternating the wet with the dry ingredients in any recipe that calls for this technique is done for a very specific purpose.
Alternating the ingredients when adding them prevents you from overmixing the batter. If you dump all of the dry ingredients in right away, the batter will be very thick and you’ll likely overmix it to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.
By adding the dry ingredients in thirds in this cupcake recipe, and then adding the liquid in 2 parts, you’ll incorporate a small amount of the dry ingredients and limit the mixing to combine thoroughly. Don’t skip this step!
How to easily fill the cupcake pan
The easiest way to fill the muffin tin with the batter is to use an ice cream scoop or a large cookie scoop. This not only saves you from making a mess with cupcake batter all over but also ensures each cupcake is the same size.
It's a versatile tool in the kitchen as you can use it to scoop ice cream, cupcake batter or scoop cookie dough for evenly sized cookies. This set of three scoops is what I use.
Easy chocolate ganache
The filling for these triple chocolate cupcakes is just two ingredients: bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream.
Heat the heavy cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate to lock in the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
Stir the chocolate and cream together until a silky, smooth ganache forms. Chill the ganache so that it can be scooped into the cupcakes easily.
How to fill the cupcakes
The easiest way to fill the triple chocolate cupcakes is to use a cupcake corer to remove the middle of the cupcake. I use this one and it’s really easy to use. Place it in the middle of the cupcake, push down and twist until you are about ⅓ of the way from the bottom of the cake.
Pull the corer up and push the cake out of the corer. Either eat the cupcake cores or freeze to make cake pops later.
If you don’t have a cupcake corer, don’t worry! You can do this with a knife as well. Remember not to cut all the way through the cupcake to the bottom or you will have filling spilling out.
Use a small spoon or a mini cookie scoop to fill each cupcake hole with the chocolate ganache. Fill it all the way to the top, smoothing the chocolate down with the back of the spoon as needed.
Double chocolate buttercream
This buttercream is so silky smooth and deeply chocolate. It starts as a typical American buttercream with butter and powdered sugar.
Heavy cream provides some moisture to lighten up the buttercream and make it extra creamy. A little vanilla extract provides extra flavor with 2 kinds of chocolate for that deep chocolate flavor.
Both unsweetened cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate contribute to the rich chocolate flavor. This buttercream is rich, fluffy and extra creamy due to the melted chocolate.
How to store the cupcakes?
The cupcakes can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container. If you need to store the cupcakes longer, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Because of the amount of butter in the buttercream, when the frosting is chilled, it will harden. Let the cupcakes sit out at room temperature for an hour before serving them.
For more cupcake recipes, check out:
Tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog if you make this and leave a star rating and comment below! Thanks and enjoy!
Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 4 oz heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz melted bittersweet chocolate slightly cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 4 minutes, until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a small bowl mix together the buttermilk and sour cream. In a separate small bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- To the butter/sugar mixture, add a third of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk/sour cream and mix well. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients ending with the dry ingredients until combined.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan dividing it evenly between the 12 cavities. Bake for 14-16 minutes until a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and place a plate or plastic wrap over the bowl. Let it sit for about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap/plate and stir the cream and chocolate until the chocolate is completely melted and a thick ganache forms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar and cocoa powder on low speed and increasing to medium speed until combined.
- Add heavy cream and the vanilla and mix until creamy. Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Use a sharp paring knife or cupcake corer to create a hole in the middle of the cupcake (see pictures in post). Discard the cake that was cut out (or eat it!).
- Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop about 1-2 teaspoons of the ganache into each cupcake.
- Frost the cupcakes using a knife or pipe the frosting using a bag and pastry tip.
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