Yesterday while Stephen was at work I decided to bake something. Since it was our anniversary I wanted to make something different and kind of special. I had been wanting to make a German chocolate cake for quite some time, but a whole cake is kind of impossible to eat between the two of us. So what did I do? I scaled down one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes, scaled down and adjusted a topping recipe and used my cocoa buttercream recipe. You may be thinking that’s a lot of work but everything seemed to come together quite quickly. The topping and frosting can be made/cooled while the cupcakes are baking and the overall assembly is a fairly speedy process. When Stephen came home he was pleasantly surprised to see cupcakes, especially since the night before we tried going to the Cocoa Bean and they were sold out of his favorite flavors. We both agreed that this recipe is a keeper!
German Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Rich chocolate cupcakes with a soft, moist crumb are topped with a thick coconut-pecan custard and finished with a swirl of whipped chocolate frosting in this classic German Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe.
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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 578kcal
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup warm water + ⅛ tsp espresso powder
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 1/2 Tbsp butter - cut into small pieces
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts - chopped
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter - melted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - natural not Dutch process
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp light corn syrup - optional
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line one cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, warm water with espresso powder, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth (no flour or cocoa pockets remain), about 3 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cups, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 20–21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake!
- Remove from the oven, allow the cupcakes to sit for 3–4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Prepare the topping and frosting. Assemble as desired.
Topping
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and egg yolk.
- Put the butter, salt, vanilla, nuts, and coconut in a large heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spatula (make sure your thermometer reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit / 77 degrees Celsius).
- Pour the hot custard into the nut-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature.
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), beat the melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating on medium speed to a spreadable consistency (add an extra splash of milk if necessary, but the frosting should be fairly stiff).
- Add the vanilla, light corn syrup, and a pinch of salt. Beat for 20–30 seconds until light and fluffy.
NOTES
STORE these German Cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is warm or humid, refrigerate them to keep the topping from getting too soft. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for 4–5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving so the frosting and topping can soften.
To FREEZE, place the cupcakes on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or leave at room temperature for a few hours. For a quick warm-up, microwave unfrosted cupcakes for 10–15 seconds before adding the topping and frosting.
Nutrition
Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 777mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg
Recipe by Stephen + Natalie
These look so yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Yummy! Have to make these sometime soon!
It looks super rich and delicious
total yum!
Anything with coconut in anywhere is amazing 🙂 this looks lush