“Is it Balemtime’s yet?! Can we make chocolate tweats?”
I didn’t think a 4-year-old could get more excited about something that wasn’t Christmas- or dinosaur-related. But I was wrong. It’s because there’s chocolate.
And Master Yoda.
She is my kid, after all. Although only one of us would choose broccoli & ranch over chocolate. Spoiler: IT’S NOT ME.
She picked out “chocolate writing cupcakes” to make for our friends after seeing a picture over my shoulder. And heart-shaped pancakes for Balemtime’s Dinner at home.
Solid choices.
The one-bowl, deep, dark chocolate cupcakes are coated with an insanely messy chocolate glaze. Then decorated with melted white chocolate. Perfect for you and about 20 of your other favorite Valentines. I mean Balemtimes.
Chocolate Valentine's Cupcakes
Rich chocolatey cupcakes, perfect for your Valentine.
Ingredients
- For the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (I used nonfat Greek yogurt)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- For the glaze:
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
- For writing:
- 1-2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners (I got 21 cupcakes).
- Whisk the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until mixed well.
- Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Scoop batter into the liners, filling ~2/3 full.
- Bake ~18 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched.
- Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
- Microwave the heavy cream until hot, 1 minute.
- Add the chopped chocolate and corn syrup and let sit for 3 minutes.
- Stir until smooth. If there larger chunks remain, let the chocolate sit another minute or two.
- Let the glaze sit about 5 minutes and then dip the cooled cupcakes into the chocolate glaze, returning to the rack to set. You'll have leftover glaze.
- Microwave the white chocolate in a small bowl until melted and smooth.
- Transfer to a sandwich bag, twist the bag closed, and snip a very tiny corner off the bag.
- Decorate as desired.
Notes
Yields: ~21 cupcakes
Estimated time: 60 minutes