Chocolate Cupcakes with Cheesecake Filling, Chocolate Graham Crust and Silky Dark Chocolate Frosting

Did you know that October 18th was National Chocolate Cupcake Day? Yeah, me neither until I saw it on a cooking board. I never would have thought that chocolate cupcakes would have needed their own day - and this is certainly not as cool of a holiday as "National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day" (August 8, if you're wondering, which is also the birthday of my beautiful niece Odile - hi Odile!). I mean, it seems as though people are getting to the point of either loving or loathing cupcakes anyway, so a day to celebrate the chocolate variety is just going to encourage some people (like me) and irritate others. Heh, when I wished my mother a happy national chocolate cupcake day on the phone you could hear the eye rolling through the receiver. 

Anyhow, you'll notice this post isn't dated October 18 in the first place. That's because on that day, I was completely out of dark chocolate, cocoa, and vanilla. What a tragedy! Embarrassing, too. Still, better late than never, so I present this offering (to those of you who care about such things).

I have been thinking about a cheesecake cupcake (because to this day I've never made a cheesecake) - so I put a graham cracker crumb crust on this one but added some cocoa powder in keeping with the theme. The cake itself is light and not very sweet, and I love the filling because it has everything I love about cheesecake (and cream cheese frosting, actually) but without the heaviness. And the frosting - wow - this may now be my go-to chocolate frosting - it's not to sweet and has a nice mouthfeel - not like the punch of powdered sugar you get sometimes. It's a perfectly respectable chocolate cupcake, with a bit of a twist.

So celebrate the day late, with me, and have a chocolate cupcake - and a glass of milk!

~For the chocolate-graham crust ~

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix well (it will resemble wet sand).

Divide the crumb mixture among the cupcake liners, pressing it down with your fingers to make an even layer. 

Bake for 7 - 8 minutes or until just starting to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool while you make the cupcake batter. Make sure the crust is cool before filling with the batter.

See? Wet, chocolate-y sand.

~ For the chocolate cupcakes ~

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups cake flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Pour the boiling water over the cocoa and espresso powder in a medium bowl and stir until well combined, then cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, 1/4 of the cooled cocoa mixture, and the vanilla.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
Add the butter and the remaining cocoa mixture, then mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Beat for an additional 2 minutes, then scrape down the sides.

Add the egg mixture a third at a time, making sure to beat until the mixture is combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. 

Bake in the center of the oven for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one of the cupcakes comes out clean, or the cake springs back when gently pressed.

When removed from the oven, let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

"This is so, so good to eat!" (that's a direct quote)

The child is serious about her cake batter licking...

~ No-bake cheesecake filling ~

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until well-blended and fluffy. Fold in the whipped cream, a third at a time, until incorporated but still light. 

To fill the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out a cone-shaped portion out of the top of each cake. Slice off the excess cake from the cone (leaving the flat cap) and reserve the top. Fill the resulting hole with about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture (or however much you need). Replace the cap. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, and then put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill and set the filling.

Nice contrast, is it not?

~ Silky Dark Chocolate Frosting ~

6 ounces dark chocolate chips
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
6 tablespoons milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt
5 - 6 cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate chips, either in the microwave at 30-second intervals, in the top of a double boiler over simmering water (or let's be honest here - I just heat mine on the stove very very carefully - don't do that). You want the chips to be nice and smooth. Stir in cocoa powder and allow mixture to cool slightly so it is just about room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, milk and vanilla and salt until well-combined. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until all is mixed in. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar, starting at low speed and moving up to high, until frosting is thick and smooth and of a good consistency to pipe.

Frost the cupcakes using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, or slap on with a knife, or however you like to frost your cupcakes. I then sprinkled mine with edible orange glitter, because it's October. Hence the Halloween cupcake liners. But I would imagine these would be just as tasty if you made them in April. 

Keep these in the refrigerator but please let them come up to room temperature before serving. This will make twenty-four cupcakes, which is a lot of dang cupcakes, so get ready to either share or sacrifice your refrigerator space.

Huh. This is rather an intimidating pan o'cupcakes.

My cupcakes prefer to hang out in the light of the setting sun... in pairs...

One last tiny helper picture! You'll notice that her pink apron is on the floor behind her.