This post is sponsored by Anolon Cookware. All opinions are mine alone.
Pure indulgence: chocolate cupcakes topped with heaping mountain of chocolate mousse. Unbelievably easy to make and perfect for any occasion!
Oh my goodness!!! You guys are in for a treat!
I’m so beyond excited to share these perfect chocolate cupcakes, topped with – wait for it – CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!! A heaping mountain of it!
You may know this by now, I’m not a big fan of buttercream frosting (I know!), and Garrat absolutely hates it. That’s why you don’t see ton of desserts with buttercream frosting on my site. Well, except for this amazing swiss meringue buttercream. It’s to die for, but it’s a bit high maintenance, and I don’t always have time for that.
And if you’re wondering whether mousse frosting is any easier, my answer is 100% yes! Keep on reading and I’ll show you exactly how to make it.
These cupcakes are so easy to make. Truly! Just like my Kahlua cupcakes, you don’t need a mixer for this cupcake batter. Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients. Combine the two. Bake. That easy!!
And it’s just as easy to make the mousse frosting too. You’ll need only 4 ingredients!! But one important thing to note… Make sure the melted chocolate mixture is not hot when you add it to whipped cream. Or you’ll get a soupy concoction. And mix in whipped cream into the chocolate mixture slowly in stages for the most luxuriously smooth and fluffy frosting.
You don’t even need a piping bag. I just used a cookie scoop to top each cupcake with mountain of mousse!
I’m telling ya, it’s heaven in a form of chocolate cupcakes. Perfect for any occasion!
Now, go on and make yourself a batch to indulge.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting
Ingredients
For cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For frosting:
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C). Line 2 cupcake pans with 16 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold the batter until just combined.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, about 2/3 of the way full. (TIP: Use a large cookie scoop, to measure the batter. 1 large cookie scoop full of batter (about 1/4 cup) in each cupcake cup.)
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- To make the frosting, melt chopped chocolate in a microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring well every 30 seconds, until nice and smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a double-boiler.) Cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
- Dissolve cocoa powder in a small bowl with hot water and stir it into the melted chocolate.
- Fold in half of the whipped cream until almost smooth.
- Then add the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain.
- Refrigerate until cupcakes are cooled completely.
- To frost the cupcakes, I used a large cookie scoop to scoop the frosting and topped each cupcake. Alternatively, you can transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with desired tip. And pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with chocolate macarons, if desired.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Heather says
I’m an experienced cook and I tried the mousse twice and both times the melted chocolate “curdled” into a huge lumpy, stiff mess as soon as the cocoa and water mixture was added (and yes I did exactly as you suggested up ⬆️ n the commentary and the recipe. There was no “folding” in this lump, especially after it cooled and was not per the recommendations. Huge waste of time and money.
Shinee says
Bummer! This mousse recipe gets so much rave reviews from my readers, especially on my Supreme Chocolate Cake with the same mousse recipe. There must have been an issue with the temperature of the chocolate. I’m suspecting the cocoa mixture or melted chocolate (or both) had cooled down too much and turn too thick, which is pretty normal for chocolate to harden as it cools. In that case, you’ll just need to heat the chocolate mixture slightly to melt it again and you’d be good to go to proceed with whipped cream. Anyway, I appreciate your feedback.
Jen says
I plan to make the recipe, but wondered what the baking directions (temp and time) would be for a cake. Like a double layer round vs. one large cake. Thank you!
Carla-Marie Y Lara says
Hi!
Can I pipe this onto a cupcake? Will it flatten?
Tierney says
I’m going to use your mousse for a cake ..will the mousse hold over night in the fridge? Or should I make it right before decorating the cake? Thanks!
Shinee says
Hi, Tierney! Yes, mousse can be made a night before. Bring it out on the counter for about 30minutes, and then whip it before frosting the cake.