There are so many chocolate cupcake recipes to choose from but I really liked this one from Erren’s Kitchen because of the chocolate cream cheese frosting.  The cream cheese adds creaminess while toning down the sweetness in the frosting.  I do love chocolate, but sometimes I crave something not too sweet. Only sometimes.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups/250g all-purpose/plain flour
- 2 cups sugar
- â…” cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon baking soda
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- Âľ cup milk
- 1 Teaspoon instant coffee
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1 8oz/225g package of cream cheese, room temperature
- Âľ cup/167g butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ 4 cups cups powdered/icing sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6oz/170g Dark chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
Instructions
- For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325F/165C and line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and place into a large mixing bowl them mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the sour cream, milk, coffee, oil and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture and for 2 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake cups, filling to about Âľ full.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to cool on a rack.
- For the frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the melted chocolate. Mix to combine
- Add 3 cups of the sugar and vanilla and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy (adding more of the sugar if necessary).
- Prepare a large piping bag with a large star tip. Spoon the frosting into the piping bag, and pipe spiral twists of frosting on to of each cupcake.
- Chill the cupcakes for at least an hour before serving.