Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes for Our Chocolate Lover
Cake is a birthday must-have, right? It has been at our house, but several family members have chosen other desserts, too, like chocolate-pineapple pie or a huge chocolate chip cookie. So although cake may not be the only dessert we have for birthdays, it is still one of the most popular.
“Let them eat cake!” Marie Antoinette
These are some of my favorite cakes and cupcakes to bake. Note that, as all bakers do, I’ve tweaked them to fit my and my family’s likes and dislikes. For example, one member of my family doesn’t like walnuts, so whenever a recipe calls for walnuts, I use pecans. When I’m trying out a new recipe, I make it exactly as written the first time I try it out — and before I bring it to a family gathering. In many cases, everything is perfect and I’ll keep close to the original recipe the next time I make it. Sometimes I make more noticeable changes, like substituting brown butter in place of oil, swapping out the original buttercream with my own, using salted instead of unsalted butter, etc.
Whether I change the recipe a lot or leave it as is, who knows? A new recipe might become a new family favorite.
Cake & Cupcake specifics
Peach Ricotta Layer Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream. This cake is unique and super delicious. The peaches and raspberry filling goes perfectly with the lighter-than-air cake. The Brown Butter Buttercream has a deep caramelized flavor that I fell in love with before any of it made it on the cake. Light, airy, peachy, sweet...everything you want in a summer cake.
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes. This cupcake definitely lives up to its name. The cake is moist and so chocolatey, with a dollop of ganache baked in the center to give it a gooey middle. The light Swiss Meringue buttercream frosting is like a bit of heaven.
Flourless Mini-Chocolate Cakes with Ganache. Mini-cakes? Ganache topping? What’s not to love?
Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake. This is the best streusel cake I’ve ever tasted and whenever I make it I get a a lot of requests for the recipe. It’s a definite crowd-pleaser.
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake. This rich chocolate cake is light and moist. It’s covered in dark chocolate ganache and garnished with dark chocolate chips. It is the answer to every chocolate-lover’s dreams.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake. This gingerbread cake is soft, moist and so easy to put together. It is so flavorful that it doesn’t need icing, just a light sifting of confectioners’ sugar to make it pretty.
Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Eggnog Icing. Add the eggnog icing to the Gingerbread Bundt Cake described above and you elevate this lovely cake to the next level of deliciousness.
Hotel Waldorf Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I’ve tasted a lot of red velvet cakes in my lifetime and this recipe from my Mom is still my favorite. It has a super tender crumb and is moist and delicious. My nephew always requests this for his birthday and prefers to eat it cold. He says I make the best red cake ever. I’ll take that!
Tarta de Santiago. When I hiked a portion of the Camino to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, I fell in love with this Spanish Almond Cake. I tried to duplicate it when I got home and after a several attempts, I finally came up with a recipe that matches perfectly what I remember. And it’s both gluten-free and dairy-free so everyone can indulge. ¡Buen Camino!
Chocolate Roll Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling. Oh my! This is a fun cake to make and a delicious one to eat. It makes for a very dramatic presentation, too. It does have a lot of components, but I always enjoy making it. It’s a combination of several recipes. The sponge cake is from Hershey’s Kitchens (see “Recipes” section below), the mousse is my own non-dairy creation, and the dark-chocolate ganache drizzle is an addition to enhance the “chocolate-ness.” The light chocolate mousse filling can easily be a dessert all on its own.
Vanilla Roll Cake with Vanilla-Bean Mousse Filling. My sister is allergic to chocolate (poor thing) so whenever I make the Chocolate Roll Cake, I also make this yummy Vanilla Roll Cake so she won’t feel left out. That’s what sisters are supposed to do, right?
Like its chocolate cousin, this is a combination of several recipes. The sponge cake is from Anina’s Recipes (see “Recipes” section below). The vanilla-bean filling and white chocolate ganache drizzle are my variations.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. This is another recipe from my Mom and is moist and tender. People always ask for seconds.
Steamed Chocolate Pudding. This decadent Steamed Chocolate Pudding is cooked in a pudding mold over simmering water rather than baked. It is super moist, rich, and dense so a little goes a long way. Serving it with my Dark Chocolate Sauce puts it over the top.
Here are the sources for these cakes and cupcakes. Whether they are served up super fancy or left simple, there’s always room for “just a small piece” at the end of the meal. Thank you to all the bakers who shared their recipes.
- “Peach Ricotta Layer Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream” — Caramel Cake with peaches and raspberry filling — Half-Baked Harvest
- “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” with Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream — America’s Test Kitchen
- “Flourless Mini-Chocolate Cakes with Ganache” — Weight Watchers
- “Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake” — Food.com
- “Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake” — Dinner Then Dessert
- “Gingerbread Bundt Cake” — A Beautiful Plate
- “Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Eggnog Icing” — A Beautiful Plate
- “Hotel Waldorf Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting” — Family recipe...thanks, Mom
- “Tarta de Santiago” (Spanish Almond Cake) — result of several experiments
- “Chocolate Roll Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling” — Sponge cake recipe from Hershey’s Kitchens
- “Vanilla Roll Cake with Vanilla-Bean Mousse Filling” — Sponge cake recipe from Anina’s Recipes
- “Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting” — Family recipe...thanks, Mom
- “Steamed Chocolate Pudding” — The Daring Gourmet
Peach Ricotta Layer Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream: virgin olive oil, ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, buttermilk, flour, baking soda, baking powder, peaches, raspberry jam
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt; rich chocolate Swiss buttercream for frosting
Flourless Mini-Chocolate Cakes with Ganache: flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake: flour, brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, brewed coffee
Gingerbread Bundt Cake: flower, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Eggnog Icing: cake ingredients as per above, plus eggnog icing: cream, eggnog, sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg
Hotel Waldorf Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, red food coloring, cocoa powder, salt, buttermilk, vinegar, baking soda, cream cheese frosting
Tarta de Santiago (Spanish Almond Cake): almond meal, sugar, salt, eggs, lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Roll Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling: eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate mousse (for filling) and dark chocolate ganache (for frosting)
Vanilla Roll Cake with Vanilla-Bean Mousse Filling: sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla bean mousse (for filling) and white chocolate ganache (for frosting)
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped pecans, cream cheese frosting
Steamed Chocolate Pudding: flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, expresso powder, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, rum extract, milk, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
What I’ve learned...
These cakes and cupcakes were made with the best ingredients I could find. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Baking desserts takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who eat them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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