High Altitude Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

A high altitude recipe for black and white chocolate cupcakes, made with soft chocolate cupcakes filled with creamy dark chocolate ganache, frosted with white chocolate buttercream and topped with chocolate truffles. With the white and dark chocolate, these decadent cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream!

You might also love this easy chocolate espresso mousse, marble cake with chocolate ganache drip, and chocolate chip sour cream loaf cake.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

White and Dark Chocolate. There’s no need to choose between white or dark chocolate – you can have both in these delicious black and white cupcakes.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet, so high altitude bakers can depend on consistent, reliable results when baking in the mountains.

Easy to Decorate. I love decorating cupcakes with chocolate, and a variety of truffles and chocolate squares looks beautiful on these cupcakes.

Moist for Days. One of the best things about these cupcakes is how moist they are, which means they can be made a day or two in advance, if needed, without fear of them drying out.  Whole milk, sour cream and vegetable oil add moisture and richness, and the result is a beautiful cupcake with a tender crumb that stays soft for days.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

• All-Purpose Flour. Gives the cupcakes structure and strength.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens and moistens the chocolate cupcakes.
• Cocoa Powder. I only bake with Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and if a recipe specifies Dutch, then you cannot substitute natural cocoa powder instead. A good chocolate cupcake depends on good cocoa powder, and some of my favorites are Rodelle Dutched Cocoa Powder, Drost and Cacao Barry Extra Brute.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt. I use both baking powder and baking soda to leaven this cake. And of course, every cake needs salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor of the chocolate. I use coarse Kosher salt in all my cooking and baking.
• Espresso Powder. Enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
• Eggs. Give the cake its structure, and add richness.
• Whole Milk + Sour Cream. A combination of milk and sour cream gives this cake flavor and moisture. Sour cream is just fantastic in cakes.
• Vegetable Oil. Most cake recipes contain either butter or oil. Butter, of course, has a superior flavor, but oil is known for making an incredibly moist and light cake.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

Chocolate Ganache

• Heavy Whipping Cream. Ganache needs the high fat content of heavy whipping cream to thicken and set correctly.
• Chocolate. Usually I recommend a bar of chocolate when making ganache, but since this is just a cupcake filling, chocolate chips work just fine, too.

White Chocolate Buttercream

• White Chocolate. You can use either white chocolate chips, or a bar of white chocolate.
• Butter. Makes a rich, buttery, fluffy buttercream. I use unsalted, but salted butter works fine, too, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
• Meringue Powder. Adds stability and improves the texture.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

Decoration

• Assorted Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate Squares. Check the candy aisle at your local grocery store – there should be plenty of options for various chocolate truffles and individually wrapped squares of chocolate to decorate your black and white chocolate cupcakes.

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your cupcake/muffin pans with 15 paper liners.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.
• Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla, and whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.

• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into the muffin pan, filling the cups about 2/3 – 3/4 full. 
• Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

• Cool several minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache

• In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until hot and beginning to simmer around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.

• Use a cupcake corer to remove the centers of the cupcakes, then spoon the warm ganache into the cupcakes.
• Set aside while you make the buttercream.

Buttercream

• Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes at 50% power, then stir, and microwave in 20 second increments at 50% power, stirring until smooth. Set aside to let the white chocolate cool for several minutes until no longer warm, but still soft and spreadable.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and vanilla.  Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy, adding the milk only as needed for desired piping consistency. Beat in the cooled white chocolate for 1 minute.

• Pipe the buttercream onto the filled cupcakes.
• Top each cupcake with a chocolate truffle or chocolate square.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these cupcakes in advance?

These cupcakes can be baked, filled and frosted 1 day in advance, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they will taste moist and fresh.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Does the ganache stay soft inside the cupcakes?

As the ganache cools, it will set and firm up to a soft, fudgy texture.

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