These high altitude chocolate toffee crunch cupcakes start with an easy recipe for moist and fluffy chocolate cupcakes. Instead of frosting the cupcakes with buttercream, dip them in rich dark chocolate ganache and finish with a sprinkling of crunchy toffee bits on top.
You might also love this chocolate caramel toffee drip cake, dulce de leche salted toffee crunch ice cream, and blondies with ganache and toffee.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No Mixer Needed. Both the cupcakes and the ganache come together quickly and easily with no need for a mixer.
Not Too Sweet. These chocolate toffee crunch cupcakes have the perfect balance of soft cake, creamy ganache and crunchy toffee, without being overly sugary.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder. I always bake with Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder. Use the best quality you can afford. My personal favorite is Cacao Barry Extra Brute.
- Espresso Powder. Most grocery stores carry instant espresso powder or instant coffee. A small amount enhances the flavor of the chocolate in these chocolate toffee cupcakes.
- Dark Chocolate. For the ganache, I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate. If you want a slightly sweeter ganache, choose a chocolate that’s around 55-60% cacao instead.
- Toffee Bits. You can make homemade toffee if you’re feeling ambitious, but for an easier option, just use a bag of Heath toffee bits.
Instructions
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 before frosting.
Ganache
- Finely chop the chocolate and scrape it into a bowl.
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Over medium low heat, heat the cream just until hot and beginning to simmer around the edges. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
- Let the mixture sit for three minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth.
- Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the warm ganache. After dipping all the cupcakes, use a spoon to spoon any remaining ganache on top of the cupcakes, then smooth it out with a small icing spatula.
- Let the ganache set for about five minutes, then sprinkle the cupcakes generously with toffee bits, gently pressing them into the ganache.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can see my recipe for high altitude chocolate cupcakes, which includes a recipe for the best chocolate buttercream.
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High Altitude Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cupcakes
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Muffin Pans + 15 Paper Liners
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder (see note)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee, optional
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Ganache
- 3 oz good quality chocolate (55-70% cacao), finely chopped (see notes)
- 3 oz heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz toffee bits
Instructions
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 before frosting.
Ganache
- Finely chop the chocolate and scrape it into a bowl.
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Over medium low heat, heat the cream just until hot and beginning to simmer around the edges. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
- Let the mixture sit for three minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth.
- Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the warm ganache. After dipping all the cupcakes, use a spoon to spoon any remaining ganache on top of the cupcakes, then smooth it out with a small icing spatula.
- Let the ganache set for about five minutes, then sprinkle the cupcakes generously with toffee bits, gently pressing them into the ganache.
- For a salty sweet finish, sprinkle the toffee with a pinch of flaky finishing salt, such as Maldon.
Notes
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/
DELICIOUS! Living in Albuquerque, your high altitude recipes are a must! I have one complaint/question, though. After storing overnight, the toffee bits turned into goo—no longer crunchy! Any idea what happened?
I noticed that some of mine had a few little melty areas by the next day, but nothing extreme, and they were mostly still crunchy. Even after storing some in the freezer for a week and letting them thaw, they were crunchy. It’s likely just the way the hard toffee reacts when exposed to moisture – it can cause the sugar in the toffee to melt.