These easy Triple Chocolate Cupcakes have a moist chocolate cupcake base, are filled with rich and decadent ganache, are topped with fudge buttercream frosting, and are decorated with ganache and chocolate chips. If you are a chocolate lover, these are going to change your life!
Obsessed with chocolate desserts? Me too. If you’re looking for fudgy and decadent, Chocolate Filled Cookies are my new favorite treats. Need the perfect chocolate cake? Chocolate Walnut Cake has you covered!
For more recipes with ganache, this Marble Loaf Cake, these Ganache Cookie Dough Cupcakes, and these Reese’s Cheesecake Brownie Bars are all calling your name.
Tell Me About This Recipe
- one bowl MOIST chocolate cupcakes
- 2-ingredient chocolate ganache filling made in 5 minutes
- thick and creamy fudge buttercream frosting topping
- impressive taste, texture, and presentation for all chocolate lovers to enjoy
Ganache Cupcake Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: Regular, plain all purpose flour is perfect for a soft texture. Measure properly by using a kitchen scale or using a spoon to carry and level the flour into your measuring cups.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is where these cupcakes get their chocolate flavor. I use natural cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Both of these leavening agents work together to help these cupcakes rise with a gorgeous dome.
- Salt: Salt brings out sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is the base fat of the recipe. It’s used instead of butter for a moister and fluffier cupcake. It can be substituted for another unflavored oil.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs at room temperature add to structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor of the cupcakes.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream creates moist and tender cupcakes.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk smooths out the batter and creates lighter, more tender cupcakes.
Step by Step Cupcake Process
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line your 12-count muffin tray with liners.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. This includes granulated sugar, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, room temperature sour cream, and room temperature buttermilk together. Whisk until smooth.
STEP 3: Pour your properly measured all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Mix with a whisk only until you see the dry flour pieces disappear.
STEP 4: Transfer your batter to the 12 liners, adding about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to each cavity. The cupcakes should be 3/4 full.
STEP 5: Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes look slightly shiny, the centers look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool before decorating.
Decorating
STEP 1: Prepare the dark chocolate fudge frosting by mixing butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
STEP 2: Add heavy whipping cream to the frosting before mixing on high speed for 3 minutes to create a creamy chocolate frosting.
STEP 3: To make the chocolate ganache, heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to bubble. Next, pour the heavy cream on top of a bowl of chocolate chips. Push the chocolate chips below the heavy cream because the chocolate may not fully melt if it is not fully touched by the hot cream. Then, let the mixture sit for 2 minutes.
STEP 4: Stir the ganache with a wire whisk in the center of the bowl. As the mixture starts to combine, slowly stir in a larger circle. Continue this process until you reach the outside rim of the bowl.
STEP 5: Next, create a well in the center of each cupcake with a knife or spoon before filling with about 1/2 tablespoon of ganache.
STEP 6: Frost each cupcake with fudge buttercream as desired. Then, spoon additional ganache on top of the cupcakes and pour mini chocolate chips on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using vegetable oil creates a moist cupcake that maintains moisture. Additionally, sour cream and buttermilk work together to add moisture and a more tender texture. To ensure the moistest cupcakes possible, make sure to measure your flour properly by using a kitchen scale or by spooning and leveling flour into your measuring cups.
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container or tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
Measuring Flour: To avoid dry and dense cupcakes, measure flour with a kitchen scale to 105g exactly or use a spoon to transfer flour from your container to your measuring cups before using a knife to level.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients will allow the cupcake batter to come together more smoothly and result in more even cupcakes. If you forget to leave them out ahead of time, you can-
- leave eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes
- heat sour cream in the microwave for 10 seconds
- heat buttermilk in the microwave for 10 seconds
Decorating: You’ll notice the ganache start to thicken or harden after it sits. This may make decorating difficult if you are really taking your time. Simply pop your ganache in the microwave for 5-10 seconds and stir. Repeat until it is smooth enough to use as a filling and topping.
Related Recipes
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Triple Chocolate Cupcakes (Ganache Filled)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes, Chocolate, Ganache
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy Triple Chocolate Cupcakes have a moist chocolate cupcake base, are filled with rich and decadent ganache, are topped with fudge buttercream frosting, and are decorated with ganache and chocolate chips.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup (105g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (85g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk, room temperature
For the Fudge Frosting
- 1 1/2 cup (325g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup (54g) unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream, room temperature
For the Ganache
- 1 cup (180g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream
- for decoration: 1/2 cup (90g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12 count muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, room temperature sour cream, and room temperature buttermilk together with a whisk until smooth.
- Pour properly measured flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and whisk. Mix only until you see the dry ingredients disappear into the batter, as overmixing could lead to dense cupcakes.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin liners, adding about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to each liner. The liners should be about 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes look slightly shiny, the centers look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before decorating.
For the Fudge Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter until smooth. This should be about 2 minutes of mixing.
- Slowly, add powdered sugar and dark cocoa powder into the butter. Beat on low speed, adding the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in small increments to avoid spilling.
- Pour heavy cream into the frosting and beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes. This creates a light, velvety frosting. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure the frosting is even throughout.
- If desired, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your desired tip or a zippable plastic bag with the corner snipped off for greater control when frosting.
For the Ganache
- Pour your chocolate chips into a glass bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until the mixture just starts to bubble in the center.
- Pour the heavy cream on top of the chocolate chips. Immediately, use a spoon to push the chocolate chips below the heavy cream to ensure all parts of the chocolate are touched by the hot cream.
- Allow the chocolate chips and hot cream to sit for about 2 minutes.
- Using a spoon, start mixing by making small circles in the center of the bowl. Continue making a swirl motion and slowly begin working outside the center of the bowl as the mixture combines.
- Do not let the ganache sit for longer than 10 minutes.
For Decoration
- Use a knife to cut out a portion of the center of each cupcake or use a spoon to dig and create a well in the center of each cupcake.
- Add about 1/2 tablespoon-1 tablespoon of chocolate ganache to the center of each cupcake.
- Frost each cupcake as desired.
- Immediately, top the cupcakes with additional ganache before topping with mini chocolate chips.
- Store the cupcakes tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Measuring Flour: Use a kitchen scale to measure 105g exactly or use a spoon to transfer your flour from your container to your measuring cups instead of scooping and packing the flour.
Bake Time: Do not overbake, as doing so will lead to dry cupcakes. Bake until the tops spring back when quickly poked with your pointer finger and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs.
Ganache: The ganache will begin to firm up as it sets. If it becomes too thick to fill and decorate with, pop the bowl in the microwave for 5-10 seconds before stirring to smooth it out.
Keywords: Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, Ganache Cupcakes, Ganache Filled Cupcakes
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