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Cupcakes

Chocolate Star Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Cupcakes topped with piped chocolate buttercream

4.9 (7)out of 5, 7 ratings

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Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

  • 6 tbsp75 ggranulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp75 gunsalted butterGerman butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp75 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • ½ tspbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and the UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.
  • ⅓ cup30 gunsweetened cocoa powderPure unsweetened cocoa powder for baking. In the US use unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot cocoa mix); in the UK, cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate).
  • 2large eggs
  • 1 tbspmilk

For the cupcakes

  • 1 stick plus 3 tbsp160 gunsalted butter
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp160 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups150 gall-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp4 gbaking powder
  • 3large eggs
  • 2 tbspmilk

For the chocolate buttercream

  • 3 ½ oz100 gchocolate
  • 1 stick plus 3 tbsp150 gunsalted butter
  • 2 ½ cups300 gpowdered sugarVery finely ground sugar for icings and dusting. In the US use powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar); in the UK, icing sugar.
  • 1 tbspmilk

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Put paper liners into the muffin pan and line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. Mix all the ingredients for the chocolate cake, then spread the batter in the 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) pan. Bake it in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes and let it cool completely. Then use a star cookie cutter to cut out stars and set them aside until the cupcake batter is ready.

  3. Put all the ingredients for the cupcakes in a bowl and quickly mix them into a batter. Spoon a little batter into each liner and stand a star upright in it. Add a little batter to the left and right of each star to support it, then cover the stars with the rest of the batter. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 to 25 minutes, then let them cool completely.

  4. Melt the chocolate for the buttercream and set it aside until it has cooled to room temperature. Put the powdered sugar and butter in a bowl and beat them together until well combined, then add the milk and beat it in as well. Finally, add the chocolate, spoon the finished buttercream into a piping bag and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes.