Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

I am the designated birthday cupcake baker in our circle of friends. My friend chose triple chocolate cupcakes for his birthday. I made my go-to chocolate cupcakes, filled them with chocolate ganache, and topped them with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting. They were decadent and delicious!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
Source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

1 and 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose and subbed out three tablespoons for corn starch.)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, beat together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water with a hand mixer on medium-high speed. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake about 18–22 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache
Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 cup chocolate chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Simmer the heavy cream in a small saucepan until hot. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for one minute. Add the butter and stir until silky and smooth.


Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting
Source: Hershey

1 stick butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk (I use heavy cream.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter, and stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. If needed, add additional milk and powdered sugar to get desired consistency.