Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
These mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream are topped with a light sprinkle of sea salt flakes to balance out the flavors. It's a cute little addition to any dessert table.Yield: about 36 mini cupcake
Servings: 36
Ingredients
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon Zing Baking Blend*
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temp
Sea Salt Chocolate Buttercream:
- 3 large egg whites, room temp
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon Zing Baking Blend
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- sea salt flakes, as needed to garnish
Instructions
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line mini cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg, Zing™ Baking Blend, olive oil, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- In another bowl, combine hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Mix until smooth. Add milk and mix until incorporated. Add to egg mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add dry flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth. Batter will bubble slightly due to the baking soda. Let batter sit for 5 minutes to slightly thicken.
- Divide batter among prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 15 minutes until cupcake tops spring back to touch. Allow to cool in tin for 3 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Sea Salt Chocolate Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and Zing™ Baking Blend. Place over a double boiler and continue to whisk until mixture is smooth and all the Zing is dissolved. You can test this by dipped your finger into the warm mixture and rubbing it together with your thumb. You should not be able to feel the granules of Zing.
- Return bowl to stand mixer. Using a whisk or paddle attachment, beat mixture at low speed until mixture is foamy. Increase to medium speed and continue to beat to stiff peaks until mixture is smooth and glossy. By this time, the mixture should have cooled down.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been added, add vanilla and cocoa powder. Continue to mix until frosting is smooth. Lastly, fold in cooled melted chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sea salt flakes.