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High Altitude Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

September 28, 2022 by Heather Smoke Leave a Comment

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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.

Lindt chocolate square on a black and white chocolate cupcake.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

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.

Black and white chocolate cupcakes, one with a bite taken.

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.
Ingredients for making chocolate cupcakes.

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.
Ingredients for making chocolate ganache.

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.
Black and white chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate truffles.

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.
  • Dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl.
  • Bowl of dry ingredients for chocolate cupcakes.
  • Bowl of chocolate cupcake batter.
  • Chocolate cupcakes about to be baked.
  • 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.
  • Chocolate cupcakes in a muffin pan.
  • Chocolate cupcakes cooling in a muffin pan.
  • Cool several minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Unfrosted chocolate cupcakes on a black cooling rack.

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.
  • Chopped chocolate melting into hot cream in a saucepan.
  • Chocolate ganache in a bowl.
  • 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.
Chocolate cupcakes filled with ganache.

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.
Swirls of American vanilla buttercream.
  • Pipe the buttercream onto the filled cupcakes.
  • Top each cupcake with a chocolate truffle or chocolate square.
Chocolate truffles on top of black and white chocolate cupcakes.

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.

Black and white chocolate cupcake filled with ganache.

You Might Also Like

  • Vanilla cupcakes with a gold birthday candle.
    Vanilla Cupcakes
  • Chocolate cucpakes with chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips.
    Chocolate Cupcakes
  • Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
    Pumpkin Cupcakes
  • Almond cupcakes sprinkled with chopped almonds.
    Almond Cupcakes

Favorite Products

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Lindt chocolate square on a black and white chocolate cupcake.

High Altitude Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Heather Smoke
Black and white chocolate cupcakes, made with soft chocolate cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache, frosted with white chocolate buttercream and topped with chocolate truffles.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 18 minutes mins
Total Time 38 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings15 cupcakes

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment

Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp (scant) baking soda
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tsp espresso powder, optional
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 oz heavy whipping cream
  • 4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

White Chocolate Buttercream

  • 2 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ tbsp meringue powder, optional
  • ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp milk or cream, only if needed

Decoration

  • 15 assorted chocolate truffles and chocolate squares

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.
  • 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.

Notes

These cupcakes can be baked 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.
Keyword Black and White, Chocolate, Chocolate Truffle, Cupcakes, High Altitude, White Chocolate
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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