Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes
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These Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes are the best celebration cupcakes. They consist of a chocolate batter filled with cream cheese and chocolate chips, and are topped with the perfect vanilla buttercream frosting. Unbelievable decadent and worth every calorie!
Cupcakes are life! For others, try my Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, some adorable Vanilla Unicorn Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and my delicious Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting!
Jumbo Cupcakes
The only thing better than birthday cake is Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes! I love making this recipe for special occasions, and because we don’t need leftover cake, these cupcakes are the obvious choice. Portion control, people! haha.
This recipe just got a makeover after a reader review. Turns out my cupcakes did indeed need some love, and so that is what I gave them. I hope this version makes you happy like it did me (and some friends)!
Three Parts
There are three quick steps in making these tasty treats.
- The Chocolate Cake – A delicious chocolate cake that is super moist, and becomes alive with a simple ingredient – HOT water (or coffee, if you prefer!). See below for more info.
- The Filling – The surprise inside is a simple mixture of cream cheese, sugar, an egg, and some chocolate chips. So good!
- The Frosting – We’re going with a classic buttercream frosting to top these beauties off.
How to make Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes:
Step 1
Combine dry ingredients for the cupcake batter. Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl – the flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, unsweetened cocoa, and both sugars.
Step 2
Whisk together the wet ingredients – the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and canola oil. (Don’t add the hot water yet.)
Step 3
Combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir gently to combine. This may be a bit dry.
Step 4
Then add the hot water, and stir again until well combined. Now the batter will be thin. I occasionally use hot coffee here instead of the water, and either work fine.
Step 5
Make filling. In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients – the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and salt. Mix well, and then add the mini chocolate chips.
If you want a little extra filling in your jumbo cupcakes, feel free to add those extra two ounces of cream cheese!
Step 6
Make frosting. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, mix the softened butter until creamy. Then add the remaining ingredients – the half and half, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar – and continue beating until light and fluffy (about two more minutes).
If the frosting is too firm, add a few extra drops of half and half. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. The photo below was taken right before I added a few extra drops of half and half. It’s just a little bit too firm.
Step 7
Add batter to cupcake liners. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chocolate batter to the liners. Then add a couple of tablespoons of filling to the batter. Finally top the filling with the remaining batter, just to cover.
Step 8
Bake. Bake cupcakes in a preheated 350 degree oven until done in the center, approximately 22-24 minutes. Be careful to avoid over-baking these cupcakes.
It’s ok if these sink just a tad bit in the center. You’re going to cover them with frosting anyway!
Step 9
Add frosting to cupcakes. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes using baking tips of your choice. Add sprinkles!
Tips for making the BEST cupcakes!
- Don’t over-fill. Make sure you do not overfill the jumbo cupcake liners (like I did the first time). If you do, the tops will look like mushroom caps and will stick to the pan. For best results, don’t fill more than 2/3 full. Start with the cupcake batter, then add a couple of tablespoons of the cream cheese filling, and then top with more cupcake batter.
- Use full fat cream cheese. The low-fat version just sinks into the batter and you don’t get to see that beautiful layer.
- Adjust baking time if making regular sized cupcakes. This recipe makes 9 jumbo cupcakes, or approximately 12 regular sized cupcakes. Make sure you reduce the baking time if you make smaller cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
Dutch-process cocoa powder has been neutralized in acidity and is usually paired with baking powder to assist in leavening your baked goods. This process gives the cocoa powder a darker color. Natural cocoa powder has not been stripped of its acid and is usually paired with baking soda. This cocoa powder is lighter in color, and is typically found in your local grocery stores. I used Dutch-process in this recipe.
Hot liquid helps the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. You can also add hot coffee for a deeper flavor.
Yes, you can use regular sized muffin tins and liners. If so, you’ll probably make about 12 cupcakes or more. You’ll also need to reduce the baking time if so.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcake mix:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs – at room temperature
- 1/3 cup buttermilk – at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup HOT water – or use strong coffee
For the filling:
- 6 oz. cream cheese – softened to room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg – at room temperature
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
For the buttercream frosting:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups powered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons half and half – plus one teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 6-cup jumbo cupcake pan plus three more with jumbo cupcake liners (three will be empty).
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, cocoa powder, and both sugars) in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and canola oil. Add to dry ingredients. Heat water in microwave until HOT, and than add to the mixture, stirring to combine.
- For the filling, combine the cream cheese, salt, sugar, and egg in a medium bowl. Add chocolate chips and combine again.
- Add 1/3 cup of cupcake batter to each liner. Drop at least 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling on top of batter. Then top with additional cupcake batter to just cover the filling.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Be careful to NOT over-bake! Remove cupcakes to baking racks to cool.
For the buttercream frosting:
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about two minutes. Add powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla extract, and salt – and mix again for another minute or two, until nice and fluffy. (If frosting is too firm, add a couple extra drops of half and half. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.)
- Frost cooled cupcakes with your desired baking tips. Add sprinkles.
Notes
- If you make regular sized cupcakes, this recipe will make approximately 12 cupcakes. Baking time should be decreased as well.
- These cupcakes should be covered and stored on your counter for a couple of days. After that, they are best stored in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze the cupcakes (without frosting) for a couple of months.
Another great recipe from Sue!
Made them with my grandsons and the recipe was easy to follow and delicious!
Awww, I love hearing this, Leslie!
Hi there could you possibly put grams as well as cup sizes please
Can I use vegetable oil instead of canola oil?
Yes you can. Good luck!
Used your receipe and made 8, I piped a little frosting into my big cupcakes , chocolate, and white frosting on top. Yummmy nice surprise to my beautician . Happy her, happy me regards pj
That sounds delicious, Pam! Thanks for letting me know!
Can this be made into a vanilla cupcake
I would use my Vanilla Bean Cupcakes instead.
https://suebeehomemaker.com/vanilla-unicorn-cupcakes/
Worst recipe ever. I should’ve read it carefully before starting. If I’d noticed the errors, I’d have found another recipe and not wasted an evening baking these. The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 cup of brown sugar for the cupcake mix. But the instructions for making the cupcakes leave these out as dry ingredients to blend with the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Adding further confusion, the recipe says to mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla, making me wonder why it says, “egg” instead of “eggs.” Two are called for in the ingredients list. The batter was runny and on the bitter side; I had to add a significant amount of sugar to sweeten it. To top it off, the frosting was stiff and nearly flavorless.
Hi Jenna. I’m sorry you had such a horrible experience with this recipe. First of all, I’m a one person business, and I do make mistakes. The omission in the directions can easily be fixed, and I appreciate you pointing those out. I’ve gotten better over time with double checking but things still slip through the cracks. Secondly, I’ll retest this recipe soon and will make necessary adjustments to it. I do have to say that the vanilla buttercream is pretty classic, so I’m not sure why you thought it was flavorless. Will test that again too.
Any suggestions for adjusting this for high altitude? Thanks!
I’m not too familiar with high-altitude baking but you could take a look at this for tips. https://iambaker.net/high-altitude-baking-tips/
So glad to find your recipe just in time for making Valentine cupcakes …I had been wondering if I could make them in my jumbo muffin pan ..apparently so! 🙂 Why, though, do you say they begin with a “chocolate crumb
cake”.. there is no crumb layer …but gosh that would be good, too!
These were phenomonal for my daughter’s 3rd birthday!
Hi Megan! I’m so happy that you enjoyed these birthday cupcakes! So fun. 🙂
I really enjoyed making these cupcakes! I only ended up with 6 jumbo cupcakes instead of 9; my cupcakes still had a very nice “muffin” top and were not overflowing out of the tin so not sure why it only made 6.
My cream cheese filling was more of a goo instead of a nice filling. Not sure why other than maybe the cream cheese wasn’t fully at room temp before I mixed it. I also would have used less chocolate chips or omitted them.
These were perfect for my solo 60th birthday party that I posted on FB and Instagram while we are all in quarantine. Will make them again (and more of them!) when we do an official birthday party later this summer!
Hi Patricia, and happy belated birthday! I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes. Not sure why you got only six either!
Tastes incredible and the perfect option to do something besides a cake! Besides, who really wants to share!
Haha, right? 🙂
Can I use cake flour for these cupcakes?
Yes, cake flour is fine to use. 🙂
These look so yummy and indulgent! 🙂 If I make them in regular cupcake liners, how long should I bake them for? Thanks!
Hi Valerie! I would start with 18 minutes and you may need to bake longer. Just check to see if a toothpick comes out clean (or close to it). Let me know how they turn out! 🙂