Dreamy simple double chocolate cupcakes. These treats are made with chocolate chips inside and topped with divine white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Today’s post is a very sad and heartbreaking one, as we say goodbye to a wonderful blogging friend. Last week, I was shocked to receive devastating news that Joan Hayes from Chocolate, Chocolate and More passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. The news shocked me to the core. I sat there for a while just re-reading the announcement and hoping that it was not true. It was one of those moments where you keep hoping that someone is just playing a cruel joke because that would be better than the truth.
The news was devastating and our blogging community will not be the same after this loss. Joan was a wonderful person with a big heart. She was a friend and a mentor to many of us. We will never be able to forget her, she will live on in all our hearts.
Joan started her blog pretty close to the time I started mine and there was never a treat she shared that I didn’t want to try. And trust me, she had many, many desserts, sweets and treats on her site. I will continue to drool and try many of her treats and I hope you will also use her site to help you find dessert recipes to try. It was Joan’s wish that her site lives on even is she does not and her sister, together with their cousin, will keep her site going, bringing everyone new treats.
Chocolate, chocolate and more was an income source to Joan and her three beautiful children. It is the least we could do, as a blogging community, to try and keep her site going and share it with as many people as possible. So in Joan’s memory, many food bloggers will be sharing chocolate desserts today. Joan believed that no day should pass without chocolate and today, as we say goodbye to this sweet lady, I hope you will get inspired to eat some chocolate or even bake a chocolate treat!
Double Chocolate Cupcakes (with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting)
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cups of hot water
- 2½ cups of flour
- 1¼ cup of sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cups of vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 oz baking white chocolate bar s
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powder sugar more if desired
- Decoration:
- Grated white chocolate bar or chips optional
Instructions
- Cupcakes:
- Preheat the over to 350. Lightly spray cupcake pan with cooking spray and line it with cupcake liners.
- In a small sauce pot, mix water with unsweetened cocoa powder. Bring to a low boil. Cook for about a minute and set aside to cool.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
- Separately, whisk together vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs and sour cream.
- On low speed, slowly pour in the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Once it's combined, bring the speed up to medium and beat for about two minutes.
- Lower speed to low again and slowly pour in hot cocoa. Mix until just combined. Turn off mixer.
- Using a spatula, scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, continue mixing with a spatula until batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way, and bake for 18-20 minutes. Do a toothpick test at 18 minutes to check for doneness.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- Frosting:
- Beat butter and cream cheese together, on medium-high speed, until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- Lower the speed to low and beat in powder sugar and vanilla extract.
- Turn up the speed back to medium-high and beat for about 3-4 minutes, until the frosting is light, smooth and fluffy.
- (I prefer to melt my chocolate in a double boiler because it always yields best results. You can also melt it in a microwave at half power for 45 seconds, stir and do another 30 seconds, still on half power . (Repeat another 30 seconds if needed.) When chocolate is almost all melted, just keep stirring until it's all melted.)
- On low speed, drizzle in melted white chocolate and mix well, make sure to scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix until all even.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with a frosting tip, with cream cheese frosting and frost cooled cupcakes. (I recommend using 1M frosting tip.)
- You can grate some white chocolate on top as a decoration. I actually created a little "snow dust" decoration by grating white chocolate chips on a zester.
Notes
Some of my favorite recipes from Chocolate, Chocolate and More:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
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Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
Oh Lyuba, she would love these cupcakes 🙂
lyuba says
Thank you!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
I am so sorry Lyuba! I didn’t know her nor of her website but I will sign on and support her family. This is a great community and I have only met wonderfully kind people — such as yourself. Your dessert looks wonderful. I was going to say something funny when I first saw the cupcake but right now I believe a prayer is in order. I will go over to that site now. Have a blessed day.
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Marisa!
I know you would love her recipes!
Debra says
I am a subscriber to Joan’s site as well and I did the same thing you did. I had to read the post many times and just couldn’t comprehend the content. Still it’s hard to believe. I think she would haved loved your cupcakes and I like the ‘snow’ grated on top! Prayers for Joan’s family and friends. I’ll be thinking of her today and tomorrow while family and friends say goodbye.
lyuba says
Thank you, Debra!
It’s still hard to see her name in the indbox and facebook feed.
Kelly says
This was such a beautiful tribute, Lyuba! These cupcakes are so beautiful and such great way to honor Joan <3
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Kelly!
Tonia from TheGunnySack says
These sound delicious, Lyuba and I know Joan would’ve loved them! I want to thank you for all of your support over the past couple of years and I hope that we can meet in person some day. I love knowing that I have friends like you who can help me navigate this world of blogging.
lyuba says
Awe, Tonia, me too!
Thank you!
Melody Bowen says
Thank you Joan!
Mary says
There aren’t even words to express how much her loss has rocking our blogging world. Joan was truly one in a million.
lyuba says
I wholeheartedly agree, Mary!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
These are really lovely cupcakes. I seriously hope that we are honoring the beautiful legacy that Joan left behind.
lyuba says
I do too! I think she would love all the love coming her way and all the treats.
Rachel says
These are the best cupcakes ever! My family devoured them. Thank you!
Lyuba says
Thank you, Rachel! I’m glad to hear that 🙂
PaintedKitty says
Hello, these cupcakes look delicious and I am very excited to try them, however I think it might be helpful if in the frosting you clarified if it uses vanilla extract, vanilla bean, or something else. Maybe it’s clear to people who are more proficient bakers than me, I was just a little confused! Thanks and sorry to bother you!
lyuba says
Hi there!
I like to write for all cooking levels so I will definitely remember that. It’s vanilla extract.
Thank you 🙂
Meghan says
I am very sorry for your loss!
I almost feel bad saying how excited Iam to make these. I do have a quick question.
In the discription it says there is chocolate chips inside the cupcakes but did not see any in the list of ingredients. I was considering adding milk chocolate chips, think 1/2 cup would be a good amount?
Louise gilliam says
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
lyuba says
Hi Louise!
I’m so sorry for the late response. This recipe will make 18-20 cupcakes 🙂
I hope you enjoy them!
Margaret says
I loooved these as cupcakes and had so many compliments on them. Would this work as a tiered cake or too soft?
LyubaB says
Hi, Margaret! I think it would hold up well as a cake you would want to make one and a half of thr recipes though and make 3 8 inch cake tiers.
Tamara says
“These treats are made with chocolate chips inside ….” I’ve read and reread the ingredient list and directions several times and see no mention of the chocolate chips. Can you help?