Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes were inspired by some cupcakes I saw at Crumbs bakery. If you are familiar with Crumbs, you know their cupcakes have high tops thanks to heaps of frosting. While my version does have a good deal of frosting, I focused on making cupcakes that dome nicely so that the frosting could easily be smoothed into a tall, rounded appearance.
Cupcakes with Domed Tops
I’d read that domed tops were formed from high heat baking. It seems to have worked. The domes are just the right size and shape for building up with more icing for a big, dramatic top.
Excellent Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting
Additionally, the icing (or as some call it, frosting) has a pretty robust sour cream flavor and a velvety smooth, non-chalky texture. It goes really well this this particular chocolate cake. This is really a great frosting, so if you're reading this you should at least grab the frosting recipe even if you don't plan to make cupcakes right away.
Half Batch High Top Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes
And finally, if you only need 6 cupcakes, you can halve this recipe. Just beat the egg lightly and measure out a little less than 2 tablespoons.
Recipe
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped (no substitutes)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)
- ⅜ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hot coffee
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream room temperature (55 grams)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Frosting
- 5 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (230 grams)
- ¾ pound powdered sugar (336 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream, not too cold (60 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line 10-12 muffins cups with paper liners. I wanted my cupcakes to be a little bigger, so only used 10.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water or in microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the coffee, sour cream, oil and vanilla together in a separate bowl until very well mixed.
- Gradually add the coffee mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to blend, then add the egg and whisk until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until it’s blended in.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until cupcakes appear done or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- To make the frosting, melt the bittersweet chocolate and set it aside to cool to lukewarm. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate and the sour cream.
Claudia says
We're having some friends over to watch the UT game and the meal theme is 'finger foods', so I'm going to make these for dessert!
ashley h says
That frosting looks incredible. Could you use semi sweet chocolate in place of the bittersweet or does it have to be bittersweet? Also what is the dome made out of?
Mara says
Hey Anna--
I just wanted to let you know I just made this recipe for a neighborhood adult potluck. Added some instant coffee powder to the batter and frosting to make it more mocha and they're sooooo delicious. Never tried a dissapointing recipe from this blog yet, but this one is the best cupcake recipe that I've ever personally made. Thanks so much!
Anna says
Hi Anne,
Thanks for the feedback! It's a good, basic recipe. I wasn't sure how much frosting the Oprah recipe would yield, so I went with the better safe than sorry approach and made too much. I have some leftover too.
Anne says
Made these yesterday for our church youth group. The teens highly highly approved!! A note: The cupcake recipe will make 10-12, but the frosting will frost about 20 cupcakes. 🙂 Having extra frosting is always a good thing in my book!!
Jannine says
Anna,
Love the new look! Perfect mix of classy and "madness"! Nice going 🙂
Lucyinaz says
Love the new look!!!! What a fun surprise for your readers today! 🙂 I'm making these cupcakes today for sure!!!
Anna says
Thanks for the comments!
Marie, let me know if it works. You'll probably get a little bit of a bump, but I don't know....
hulagirl247 says
hi anna!
OMG!!!!! major revamp fo your site - i am in shock! i've been swamped at work and try to peek in evey day even if just to see what's baking..... and i just now peeked today. very nice! hope you are pleased with the change -
best regards -
~hula~
Tracy says
Wow, those look great! The sprinkles are a cute touch.
Marie says
Anna, I love your website. I check it religiously. Question: Do you think that this high-heat method/recipe would work well when baked in ice cream cones? since they make nice domed tops? (meaning less frosting and marshmallows to give the cakes an ice cream appearance.)
I'll let you know if I try it.
Thanks!
AJ says
Great new blog look!
This has given me new inspiration re: my dad's sixty-mmph birthday on the 18th. We ALWAYS make chocolate sour cream cake for his birthday, and I'm thinking maybe chocolate sour cream cupcakes this year?
Dolce says
They do look like Crumbs versions, these are great copycats 🙂
By the way, love the new look of your blog!!
janet says
Yikes, new format! I kept thinking I had logged in wrong;-) Like it...thanks for all the tempting and delicious looking recipes!!!
Sarah says
Love the new look, and these cupcakes 😉 They look so yummy, is only this humidity would break I could turn the oven on!
Mary M says
AH! I've been looking for a good, easy chocolate cupcake recipe. FYI: the chocolate frosting recipe on the can of Ghiradelli's unsweetened cocoa is TO.DIE.FOR!
I love your new template- very clean & neat!
Louise says
Cupcakes have been a food fad for quite a while. Who can't love a cupcake? And they are perfect portion size too. These turned out really cute. I'll have to try the high temperature technique for the round tops. Thirty minutes until lunch would not stop me from trying a "Crumbs" cupcake. After all, "Life's short. Eat dessert first." 🙂
Therese B. says
Those cupcakes look so good. I really think
there is an obsession with cupcakes. Martha Steward has a cupcake book too. It seems
most of the magazines have cupcakes on their
covers.
But, these look soooo good. I love the high
domed look.
I am going to make these for my Bunco group,
whose theme is Come on over Cupcake. These would be so perfect!
Thanks Anna...perfect timing for me!
Anna says
Well, there is a pile of frosting but it is spread over the dome. The dome just bulks it up a little and gives it a good shape.
Fallon says
So that really isn't a pile of frosting on top of the cupcakes?
clumbsycookie says
Love the high tops Anna! Smart thinking on raising the temperature!
Anonymous says
Mmm, love the sprinkles!
LisAway says
Oh, these look yummy! I'm bookmarking this one! Thanks!
snooky doodle says
THESE LOOK GREAT! I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HIGH HEAT MAKES HIGH TOPS. I DISCOVERED IT BY MISTAKE 🙂