Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
25 mins
-
Cook Time
14 mins
-
Total Time
39 mins
-
Servings
72 mini cupcakes
-
Calories
32 kcal
-
Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
-
Cuisine
American
Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Description
The Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes use a combination of granulated sugar, flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda, along with avocado oil, vanilla, and eggs to create a tender batter. Hot coffee is incorporated to intensify the chocolate flavor by blooming the cocoa powder, yielding moist cupcakes with a deeper taste. These are baked in mini muffin tins for about 14-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
After cooling, each cupcake is topped with salted caramel frosting, bringing a contrast of sweet and salty that complements the dark chocolate base. The small size makes them convenient for serving at gatherings or as bite-sized treats.
Coffee can be substituted with hot water, but hot liquid is important for the cocoa's flavor development. The recipe produces over 72 mini cupcakes, so batches can be cooled and baked sequentially if only one pan is available.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup avocado oil or canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg large egg plus 1 yolk
- ⅔ cup milk whole
- 1 cup coffee see note, hot
- 1 caramel frosting batch
- sea salt for sprinkling, flaky
Instructions
- Note: If you are making the accompanying caramel frosting that I’ve linked to in the “Ingredients” section, I recommend making the caramel before beginning the cupcakes to give it ample time to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 24-count mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
- Stir in milk until thoroughly-combined, then stir in hot coffee. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir again to ensure you have a uniform, well-combined batter.
- Divide better into mini muffin tin, filling liners ½-⅔ of the way full.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 14-15 minutes or cupcake tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack (I gently pry them up with a butter knife) to cool completely before covering with caramel frosting.
- Decorate with caramel frosting then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. I used the Wilton 2D tip for icing the cupcakes in the photos.
Notes
- If making in batches with one pan, allow cupcakes to cool 10-15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a rack, and let the pan cool completely before refilling with liners and batter.
- The use of hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but may be replaced with hot water for a milder taste; hot liquid is essential for cocoa blooming.
- This recipe yields more than 72 mini cupcakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 72mini cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 32 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1mini cupcake | |
| Calories | 32kcal | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 0.3g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.03g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 60mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 21mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 7IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 11mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
