Very Moist and Chocolaty Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

To me, a good Devil's food cake has to be distinguishly moist and rich in its chocolate flavour. Otherwise it will be just another ordinary chocolate cake.

I'm certain that these cupcakes are rightfully classified as devil's food cake. Convinced? See these...

Devil's food cupcakes with chocolate frosting

This recipe suggests using 1) milk chocolate to bake the cupcakes and 2) chocolate not exceed 61% cocoa to make the frosting. Hence, I'm using this chocolate with 40% cocoa.

I started by making this smooth cocoa paste.

Instead of buttermilk, I have used yogurt and it works very well too.

You can use any neutral tasting oil like canola oil or rice bran oil to bake these cupcakes.

This is how I made the cake batter.

This cake batter is not the thick and viscous kind and yet it is not difficult task for the Tovolo cupcake batter scoop to dispense the batter equally.
To use, just scoop the batter and push the plunger to dispense the batter into the lined cups.

No drips! No mess! Yay!!!

Do not over-bake the cakes!!!
I baked mine for only 15 mins and the skewer comes out pretty clean.

Next, this is how I made the frosting.

To finish, I stirred in the icing sugar to thicken and sweeten the frosting.

You can either use a spatula to spread or roughly pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. 

Seeing this, I'm certain that these cupcakes are rightfully classified as devil's food cake. 

See how moist and rich it is.

Convinced? If you are convinced that these are very moist and chocolaty Devil's food cupcakes, I hope that you will bake along this recipe with Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, Lena from Frozen wings and me.

Isn't it nice if you can will enjoy these cupcakes like how we did? :)

Here's the recipe that is from the book, Bon Appetit by Barbara Fairchild
(with my notes and slight modification in blue)

Makes 16-18 cupcakes

1/2 cup (50g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed cocoa powder like Valrhona

2 ounces or 60g high quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
(I used the dark chocolate with 40% cocoa)
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1 cup (150g) cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda or 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup (120g) dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup canola oil or any healthful and neutral tasting oil
1/2 cup (100g) sugar*
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
* These cupcakes are not overly sweetened so please do not reduce these amount of sugars added.

Frosting
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
2 ounces high quality milk chocolate (such Lindt or Perugina, chopped
(For both chocolates, I have used 180g dark chocolate with 40% cocoa)
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (I didn't add this)
2 tbsp (1/4 stick or 30g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp paste)
1/4 cup (25g) powdered / icing sugar

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line 16 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Combine cocoa powder and chocolate in medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; whisk until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk or yogurt.

Whisk flour, baking soda or baking powder, and salt in another medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, oil, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl until light and creamy, about 2 mins. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter among paper liners.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 18 mins - I baked mine for only 15 mins. Cool in pans on cooling rack 10 mins. Transfer cupcakes to rack and cool completely.

For the frosting:

Stir both chocolates, cream (I didn't add this), and butter in medium bowl over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla, then powdered / icing sugar. Let stand until thick enough to spread, about 10 mins.

Do ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store frosted cupcakes airtight at room temperature. 

I made only half the amount of the frosting to frost half of these cupcakes and made the other half later when required and I will tell you why later...

Happy Baking
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Please note that the linky tool for bake-along is no longer available.