Rich fall flavors of pumpkin spice and vanilla enhance creamy frosting to create decadent chocolate cupcakes – so good!

Ingredients: Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 2/3 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
  • ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp.
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs – room temp
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise (I used olive oil mayonnaise)
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet choc chips

Ingredients: Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 ounces of white chocolate (melted)
  • 8 ounces of full-fat cream cheese (softened)
  • ½ cup salted butter
  • *½ cup pumpkin puree (optional; for a richer fall flavor – see notes below)
  • ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (liquid or powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla
  • 4 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons half-n-half (can substitute whole milk or heavy cream; however, this will slightly shift the consistency of your frosting)
  • Sprinkles and/or candy pumpkins to garnish

*If using the pumpkin puree, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and an extra ¾ cup of powdered sugar to balance flavors and thicken your frosting!

Chocolate Ganache Garnish and Chocolate Sprinkles (Optional)

  • 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate
  • 2 Tbsp light corn syrup 
  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Tools and Timing

  • Cupcake pan(s)  and cupcake liners
  • Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
  • Heatproof whisk/spatula or wooden spoon and small saucepan
  • Medium heatproof glass prep bowl (should hold about 2 cups)
  • Whisk (small is preferable)
  • Electric beaters
  • Cooling rack
  • Rubber spatula
  • Tongs
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Piping bags and tip
  • 2 – 2 ½ hours
  • Yield: 36 cupcakes

Background

One of my favorite things to do is add coffee to chocolate recipes: the coffee enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor! YUM. However, this process can be a bit tricky due to the acidity of the coffee…so its always an experiment that takes several tries…

Another favorite…pumpkin spice!

This chocolate cupcake recipe is a combination of several recipes and my own experimentation.

My pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting is adapted from The Recipe Critic

Step-by-step

  1. Set out eggs and butter at least 30 minutes prior to baking
  2. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan(s) with cupcake liners.
  3. Once eggs and butter are near room temperature, set out buttermilk and cream cheese (so they can come closer to room temperature as well).
  4. Brew your coffee. Meanwhile, measure your Dutch cocoa powder into your heatproof bowl. Once your coffee is brewed, measure out 2/3 cups (with baking cup measurements) and whisk your coffee into your cocoa powder. Continue whisking until you have a smooth, chocolatey paste – then set this aside to allow it to cool.
  5. In a medium bowl, blend dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt). Set aside.
  6. In large mixing bowl, cream butter. This means that you use an electric whisk to blend up the butter until it is smooth – this allows your other ingredients to incorporate better. This should take about 15 -60 seconds, depending on the room temperature.
  7. Whisk in sugar – turn mixer to medium-low to incorporate, then increase the speed to medium-high and mix until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Turn beaters off and let the mixture rest.
  8. Now,  add vanilla to your chocolate/coffee paste – whisk until blended.
  9. Begin to add eggs to your sugar/butter mixture – one at a time – mix until blended after each addition.
  10. Pour the chocolate paste mixture into your sugar/butter/egg mixture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl so you get all of the yummy stuff! Once transferred, whisk until incorporated.
  11. Now, we blend everything together: starting with your dry ingredient mixture, you will alternate blending the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into your butter/sugar base. Start with 1/3 of your dry ingredients – pour them in and whisk until blended. Then, pour in half of your buttermilk and whisk until blended. Continue this process until all dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added. (This process goes 1/3 dry, ½ buttermilk, 1/3 dry, ½ buttermilk, 1/3 dry.)
  12. Next, add your mayonnaise. Whisk until incorporated.
  13. Finally, add choc chips. Blend only until the chips are incorporated.
  14. Spoon the mixture into your prepared baking cups – Fill cupcakes 2/3 of the way only!
  15. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes, then turn down oven and bake at 325 for 10-14 more minutes. *You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle – if they are not done after 10 minutes, continue to bake but watch and test as you don’t want them to burn!
  16. NOTE: I always bake one tray at a time – baking multiple trays at once can impact the baking process! Once your first tray of cupcakes is done, turn the oven back up to 350 and prep your second tray of cupcakes by spooning batter into baking cups. Repeat this process for your third tray of cupcakes.
  17. Remove tray(s) from oven and set on cooling racks. Working quickly, use your tongs to remove cupcakes from pans – I place my tongs around the cupcake, and then I twist the tongs around in a circular motion to loosen the edges of the cupcake before lifting it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.
  18. Let them cool before filling and frosting.

Make Your Ganache Garnish – Begin Once your First Cupcakes are in the Oven

  1. Chop the chocolate into chunks (think chocolate chip sized); this will help them melt quickly so the chocolate doesn’t burn.
  2. Measure corn syrup and cream into a small sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  3. When the mixture starts to boil, turn off heat and add vanilla and chopped chocolate.
  4. Whisk until smooth and then let the mixture rest for 30 minutes (set timer).

Allow cupcakes to cool for about 15 minutes before you begin your frosting (I use this time to wash the implements that I’ll need for making my frosting).

Make Your Frosting – Begin Once your Last Cupcakes are Cooled

  1. Melt your white chocolate – I find this works best if I chop the chocolate into dime-sized pieces and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between so as not to burn the white chocolate. Set aside.
  2. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. *If using, add pumpkin puree.
  3. Once blended, add white chocolate.
  4. Then, add your pumpkin spice and vanilla. *If using pumpkin puree, add your extra pumpkin spice.
  5. Once pumpkin spice and vanilla are incorporated, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Blend between each addition. *If using pumpkin puree, add extra powdered sugar.
  6. Finally, add in the half-n-half.
  7. Using a large spatula, transfer the frosting to your piping bag. Set aside

Build your Cupcakes

  1. You have options for your ganache (if using).
    1. It’s fun to drizzle it on top of your frosting and then finish with festive sprinkles.
    1. You can also pipe a thin line of the glaze around the edge of your cupcakes then roll them in chocolate sprinkles. Then, frost with your cream cheese frosting and garnish with your decorations of choice.
  2. Transfer to storage container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to set.
  3. *Keep these refrigerated! I find they are best served directly from the fridge!

Serve and Enjoy

Other Options

Check out my other posts using this base recipe – Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlua Cream Cheese Frosting.