Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes with Swirled Frosting

Bring these to the next P.T.O. bake sale and watch them fly.

By Torie CoxPublished: Aug 8, 2020

Be the first to review!

Jump to recipe

Ren Fuller

Yields:

Total Time:

2 hrs

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups cake flour, sifted, plus 1 tablespoon
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 2/3 cups chocolate chunks, divided

Frosting

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Directions

Make Cupcakes
1. Step 1Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 1 twelve-cup standard-size muffin pan with liners.
2. Step 2Beat butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in 2 2/3 cups flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, just until combined. Toss together 2 cups chocolate chunks and remaining tablespoon flour in a bowl. Fold chocolate chunks into batter.
3. Step 3Transfer batter to prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. Top with remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chunks, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack, 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.
Make Frosting
1. Step 1Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and salt. Increase speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in cream until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer half of frosting to a bowl. Beat cocoa powder into remaining frosting on low speed, until combined, about 1 minute.
2. Step 2Fit a large piping bag with a large star-shaped tip. Spoon vanilla frosting into a second piping bag without a tip. Spoon chocolate frosting into a third piping bag without a tip. Snip the narrow ends of bags with scissors and place both vanilla and chocolate piping bags into piping bag fitted with star tip. Pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes, squeezing both bags so that frostings pipe equally.