How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing.

Last updated on September 5th, 2024 at 09:41 pm

These sourdough chocolate cupcakes are PERFECTION! Yes, I said perfection, we love them that much! The cupcakes are incredibly moist and fluffy but hold up well to the rich buttercream icing. The deep, rich flavour of premium cocoa makes them full of chocolatey goodness, but still perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. Did we mention they also contain whole grains for that extra nutrition boost? I think that means we can officially call them healthy cupcakes!

Why We Love Them

The best things about these sourdough chocolate cupcakes are its simplicity and versatility. They are SO easy to whip up as a weekday treat or a special occasion. We love them with decadent chocolate buttercream but this can be changed to your favourite icing flavour, or omitted if you want to serve them muffin-style as a snack – a dusting of icing sugar or fresh fruit also works! Are cupcakes not your style? Use a cake tin or loaf pan in place of the muffin tin for a delicious go-to chocolate cake recipe.

Tools You’ll Need

• Muffin tin
• Muffin tin paper liners (optional)
• Stand mixer
• Cooling rack
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon
• Spatula

Tips for the BEST Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Read the entire recipe before starting the recipe.
2. Use room temperature ingredients.
3. Don’t overmix your batter.
4. Fill liners about 2/3 full to leave room for rising without overflowing.
5. Rotate the pans halfway to ensure even baking.
6. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the middle of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, they are done!

Keep in mind that these cupcakes are designed to be a little flatter on top, rather than the traditional dome shape that you would see in a muffin. This way the icing is easier to apply and won’t slide off to one side.

The Ingredients

Each ingredient in these sourdough chocolate cupcakes plays a crucial role in contributing to the flavour, texture, and overall quality of the final product. Let’s break down some of the benefits:

1. Whole wheat flour: It adds fibre, vitamins, and minerals compared to refined flour, making the cupcakes more nutritional.
2. All-purpose flour: Provides structure and stability to the cupcakes. It gives the cupcakes a tender crumb and helps them rise evenly.
3. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips: Give the cupcakes their rich chocolate flavour. Cocoa powder also contains antioxidants!
4. Sugars: Sweetens the cupcakes and adds moisture. It also helps with browning and texture.
5. Salt: Enhances the flavour of chocolate and balances the sweetness. It also helps control the yeast in the sourdough discard.
6. Baking soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cupcakes rise by producing carbon dioxide gas. It reacts with acidic ingredients like cocoa powder and sourdough discard.
7. Sourdough discard: Adds moisture to the cupcakes. It also provides a natural leavening agent due to the presence of wild yeast.
8. White vinegar: Reacts with baking soda to create bubbles, which helps to create a soft, airy cupcake. It also reacts with the cocoa powder to enhance its flavour.
9. Yogurt and Oil: Adds moisture and richness to the cupcakes while also providing a tangy flavour. It helps tenderize the crumb and adds a subtle acidity.
10. Eggs: Binds the ingredients together, provides structure, and contributes to the cupcakes’ moisture and richness.
11. Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavour profile of the cupcakes, complementing the chocolate.

Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes Baker’s Percentage

The Mixing Process – Why do we add boiling water?

Boiling water is used in these sourdough chocolate cupcakes (and other chocolate cake and cupcake recipes) for a few reasons:

1. Bloom the cocoa: Blooming is a process where cocoa powder is mixed with hot liquid (in this case, boiling water). This helps to intensify the chocolate flavour by releasing its natural oils and flavour compounds.
2. Smooth texture: Cocoa powder can be quite dry and clumpy. Mixing it with boiling water helps to dissolve it completely, ensuring a smooth and consistent texture in the batter.
3. Flavour and Moisture: By adding boiling water to the cocoa powder, you ensure that it’s evenly distributed throughout the batter. It also adds moisture to the batter to ensure a fluffy crumb.

See the pictures below for a visual guide of the sourdough chocolate cupcakes mixing process. By the time the batter goes into the muffin tin, it is smooth with some air bubbles.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoyed making this recipe and are looking for some other delicious sourdough discard recipes to try, check out our Sourdough Banana Bread, Sourdough Pop Tarts, or Sourdough Pancakes! You can also head to our YouTube channel for tips, tricks and instructional videos on some of our most popular recipes. Happy Baking!

How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing.

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• Author: MJD
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 Cupcakes 1x

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Description

These sourdough chocolate cupcakes are PERFECTION! Yes, I said perfection, we love them that much! The cupcakes are incredibly moist and fluffy but hold up well to the rich buttercream icing. The deep, rich flavor of premium cocoa makes them full of chocolatey goodness, but still perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. Did we mention they also contain whole grains for that extra nutrition boost? I think that means we can officially call them healthy cupcakes! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Yield:  12 cupcakes 

Cupcakes

• 142g Dark chocolate chips
• 28g Cocoa powder
• 114g Boiling water 
• 45g All-purpose flour
• 40g Whole wheat flour 
• 100g White sugar
• 100g Brown sugar
• 3g Salt
• 3g Baking soda
• 45g Sourdough discard
• 113g Yogurt
• 53g Olive oil or another neutral oil
• 100g Eggs (2 eggs)
• 19g Egg yolk (1 egg yolk)
• 4g White vinegar
• 4g Vanilla extract

Buttercream

• 119g Whipping cream
• 112g Dark chocolate chips
• 339g Butter
• 249g Icing sugar
• 85g Cocoa powder
• 7g Vanilla extract
• 2g Salt

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Instructions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (178°C).

2. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate and cocoa powder and pour boiling water over the mixture. Whisk mixture gently until smooth then set aside to cool.

3. In a small bowl whisk all dry ingredients.

4. Whisk yogurt, discard, oil, eggs, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture.

6. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth (do not overmix).

7. Divide the batter into the muffin tin with paper liners.

8. Bake at 350°F (178°C) for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

10. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 2-3 minutes before removing carefully from the pan and placing onto a cooling rack.

For the buttercream:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate.

2. Let stand for a few minutes; then stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, add icing sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed until well-belended. Increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

4. Add the cooled chocolate cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat until fluffy and spreadable.

5. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. You can also use a butterknife. Top with sprinkles if desired.

• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Category: Deserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American