Chocolate Sunflower Cupcakes

It is surprising to me that plain chocolate with vanilla frosting is an often requested cupcake flavor. I’m not going to lie, I have a really hard time making any kind of “plain” cupcake. These Chocolate Sunflower Cupcakes are plain chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting in disguise.😉. Sunflowers are the epitome of happiness and hope, and the world need a bit of that right now. So pipe some SUNSHINE onto your cupcakes and enjoy!

The components of this cupcake creation are really simple and they are surprisingly easy to decorate. Make a batch of cupcakes, the Chocolate Ganache, Basic Smooth Buttercream, chocolate sprinkles and food coloring, along with leaf tips for piping the frosting. Start with the plain but fantastic Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes. It’s o.k. to use any cupcake flavor but here I thought the theme was better with a chocolate cupcake.

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Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

Moist and super chocolatey cupcakes.

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee
• 1 1/4 cups unsweeted cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat pven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well after each addition. Mix in the coffee and combine until completely blended.
• While mixer is on low speed, add the cocoa powder and blend completely. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add the sour cleam and mix until blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just untiil blended.
• Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
• Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Notes

The number of cupcakes this recipe yields will depend on the size of the paper cupcake liners, make sure to only fill 2/3.

The higher quality the cocoa powder, the better your cupcakes will taste.  I like to use Ghiradelli brand Dutch processed for a more mellow flavor, if you can find it.  otherwise any cocoa powder will do.

This cupcake doesn’t use much chocolate ganache and the recipe makes quite a lot. The good news is there are many other uses for this delicious stuff like frosting, pouring over ice cream or just eating by the spoonful.

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Chocolate Ganache

Versatile chocolate ganache for fillings and frostings.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Instructions

• Place chocolate chips and corn syrup in bowl.
• Heat heavy cream in the microwave in 30 second increments untilvery hot. Do not boil.
• Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
• The ganache will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Store any leftover ganache in airtight container.  Re-heat in microwave to thin if necessary for use.

After the cupcakes have cooled completely, spoon a circle of Chocolate Ganache on the top of each cupcake and then sprinkle a generous amount of chocolate jimmies (also called sprinkles).

The final fun part of making these cupcakes is frosting them in the design of a happy sunflower. You will need a nice smooth American buttercream to create the petals and leaves of the flower. I found the most perfect color gel food color for sunflower petals in Wilton Buttercup Yellow. This color is available at Micheal’s but noticed it at Walmart as well. Use a leaf green color for, well, the leaves of the sunflowers.

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Smooth and Creamy Buttercream Frosting

This is a super easy, smooth and delicious American Buttercream frosting great for decorating cupcakes and piping flowers.

Ingredients

• 8 cups powdered sugar (or 2 pounds)
• 2 cups salted sweet cream butter, softened (1 pound)
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• Cut the butter into one tablespoon sized pieces then beat with a paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix completely.
  
• Sift powdered sugar then mix into butter slowly until incorporated.
  
• Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until completly mixed, scrape sides of bowl often.
• With mixer on medium speed, add cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the proper consistency is reached.

Start by piping the petals of the sunflower around the outside of the top of the cupcake. Once you have piped a circle of petals, move in and pipe one or two more circles to give a layered effect. I used Wilton #352 leaf tip, but you could use just about any leaf tip. Here my frosting was a bit warm so there is just loose definition on the petals, the stiffer your frosting, the more definition you will have and the petals will of course look different. But that’s quite alright, really almost any leaf tip will do the trick. Viva la Buttercream has an excellent guide here to leaf tips and piping frosting.

The result is a beautiful, happy, yellow sunflower. Add a couple green leaves to finish the decorating. I used a different leaf tip for sunflower leaves.

The finished Chocolate Sunflower Cupcake is very pretty, happy and anything but plain chocolate! So the next time you need to make a plain, regular, boring, basic chocolate cupcake, try this strategy to lift your cupcake into the sunshine.