German Chocolate Cupcakes

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What could be better than German chocolate cupcakes? Oh yeah… maybe filling them with a delicious bourbon chocolate ganache! Yum. Don’t they look scrumptious?

SOME TIPS AND POINTERS TO MAKE GERMAN CHOCOLATE Cupcakes

• Whip those egg whites up last and lighten the batter by whisking in 1/4 of that fluff into the batter before folding in the rest.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
• If you’re out of buttermilk try adding two tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to whole milk. Stir and set aside a few minutes to curdle.
• The frosting is traditionally made with pecans but you can use walnuts or even chopped macadamias if preferred.

Steps To Make These German Chocolate Cupcakes

How Do You Make German Chocolate Cupcakes?

1. For the cake; Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Lightly butter, flour and line the bottoms of three 8 x 2 inch pans with parchment paper.
2. Chop up the chocolate and melt it with the coffee in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy.
3. Add the sugar to the stand mixer with the creamed butter and continue beating until it is fluffy. About 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure each egg fully incorporates before adding the next, then add the vanilla.
4. Add the melted chocolate. Beat until it is fully incorporated, then add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are mixed together.
5. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl at high speed until soft peaks form, then fold it into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Rotate the pans about halfway through to ensure even baking). Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
6. For the frosting; preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove them from the oven, let cool, and then give them a fairly fine chop.
7. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture begins to boil and thicken (about 5 minutes), remove it from the heat.
8. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the chopped pecans, coconut and vanilla extract. Give it a good mix to make sure everything is well incorporated, then let it cool until it is spreadable. (About 30-60 minutes).
9. For the ganache; put the chocolate chips in a small bowl with the bourbon. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to bubble. Pour it over the chocolate chips and allow it to sit for a minute or so and then whisk it together until there are no lumps.
10. For the assembly; use a cupcake corer to carefully remove the core of the cupcake and set it aside.
11. Pour the ganache into the cored cupcake holes then place the piece of the cupcake back on top to close off the hole. Using an ice cream scooper, cover the tops with the coconut frosting mix.
12. Drizzle the top of the frosted cupcake with more ganache and add a candied pecan to the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!

If you’ve tried these German chocolate cupcakes then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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German Chocolate Cupcakes

Rich German chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate, bourbon ganache surprise inside!

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 Cupcakes

Calories 414 kcal

Author John K.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 180g
• 1/4 tsp baking soda 1g, heaping
• 2 tsp baking powder 8g
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 75g
• 1/8 tsp salt 750mg
• 3 tbsp butter 42g, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar 300g
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract 1mL, heaping
• 1 cup milk 236mL
• 1/3 cup sour cream 80g

For the Frosting:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 can evaporated milk 355mL, 12 ounces
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar 250g
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 170g, 12 tablespoons
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 5mL
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1g, heaping
• 2 2/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut 200g, 7 ounces
• 1 1/2 cups pecans 188g, 6 ounces pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 12 candied pecans for toppers

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate 87g, chopped
• 3/4 cup cream 177mL
• 2 tbsp bourbon 30mL

Instructions

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Add cupcake papers to a cupcake pan. 

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the milk and the sour cream.

3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take about three to five minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine. Then add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated.

5. Add the milk/sour cream mixture and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are mixed together.

6. Divide the batter evenly among cupcake papers. Bake for about 15  minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.

7. Core the cupcakes with a corer. 

For the Frosting:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Thereafter, chop until fairly fine.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and when the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from heat (about 5 minutes). Stir in the chopped pecans, coconut, and vanilla extract. Let cool until spreadable (about 30-60 minutes).

For the Ganache:

1. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan until it begins to bubble. Pour over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for a minute or so. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Pour in the bourbon. Mix.

For the Assembly:

1. Pour ganache into cored cupcake holes. 

2. Cover the tops with coconut frosting mix. 

3. Drizzle with more ganache. 

4. Add candied pecans to the top of each cupcake. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Whip those egg whites up last and lighten the batter by whisking in 1/4 of that fluff into the batter before folding in the rest.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
• If you’re out of buttermilk try adding two tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to whole milk. Stir and set aside a few minutes to curdle.
• The frosting is traditionally made with pecans but you can use walnuts or even chopped macadamias if preferred.

Nutrition Facts

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (109 g)

Calories 414 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 8.5g 43%

Polyunsaturated Fat 6.8g

Monounsaturated Fat 7.3g

Cholesterol 61mg 20%

Sodium 151mg 6%

Potassium 158mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 49g 16%

Dietary Fiber 1.9g 8%

Sugars 37g

Protein 4.3g 9%

Vitamin A 5.8%

Vitamin C 0.6%

Calcium 4.3%

Iron 9.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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