Rainbow chip frosting is probably my favorite frosting of all time. It has nothing to do with the flavor. It has everything to do with those little artificially colored chunks of chewy goodness in the frosting.
I think I accidentally created a chocolate chip version of rainbow chip frosting. On top of a chocolate cupcake. Filled with a dark chocolate truffle.
It was a happy accident.
For Luke's first birthday I went with a kite theme. It was fun! We decorated with lots of funky patterns in yellow, orange and light blue. Friends and family came over, we ate good food, the birthday boy smashed a chocolate cake to smithereens, and we ate cupcakes. Oh, the cupcakes.
I started with my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It's easy, simple and tastes good.
Then I made chocolate truffles. Again, easy. Melt some chocolate chips in heated whipping cream. Done.
I hollowed out the cupcakes and piped in the {mostly cooled} truffle mixture. I may have sampled the leftovers.
Then I made vanilla buttercream and added mini chocolate chips. That's the secret. Those chocolate chips got just soft enough in the frosting that they had the same texture as those rainbow chips. Mmmmm...
I'm a fan of sharing recipes, so in case you'd like to make your own, here you go!
- Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Frosting -
{Makes about 30 cupcakes, plus a bunch of extra truffles}
For the cupcakes {recipe from joy the baker}:
2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
2 cups organic cane sugar
1 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
2/3 cup organic canola oil
2 teaspoons organic white vinegar
2 cups cold water
For the truffles {recipe from naomicakes}:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
For the frosting:
2 cups butter {4 sticks}, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 - 2/3 bag of mini chocolate chips {I used Nestle}
First make the cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl, all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until mostly smooth. Do not over mix. The batter will be very runny.
Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake tins, filling each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Then make the truffles.
Heat the cream in a sauce pan until it is just barely boiling. Pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so, then stir until there are no lumps left. Put it in the fridge. You want this to be cool but not completely solid when you pipe it into the cupcakes so that it doesn't soak in. Just before you use the truffles, put the mixture into a piping bag or a gallon baggie and cut off the tip so that you can pipe the truffles into the cupcakes.
Then make the frosting.
Using a paddle on a stand mixer or beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla and salt together until incorporated. Add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined evenly. Put the frosting into a piping bag or a gallon size baggie and cut the tip so that you can pipe the frosting on.
Once the cupcakes are cool, use a paring knife to cut out a small hole in the middle of the cupcake. Be sure you leave enough cake at the bottom for the cupcake to hold together.
Pipe a dollop of truffle into the cupcake. Try to keep it even with the top of the cupcake or just below the top of the cupcake.
Then get your bag of frosting and pipe your frosting on in whatever design you prefer. If you're going for high-hat frosting, you might need to do a batch and a half.
Be sure to stick the cupcakes into the fridge until you serve them, as the frosting and truffle will get soft at room temperature. Take the cupcakes out of the fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour before you serve them.
Calories? What are those?
