Love chocolate cake? How about cookie dough? Chocolate frosting too? If you've answered yes to all of these questions, then you are definitely in the right place. Let's talk about these chocolate cookie dough cupcakes.
This is quite a mashup of a cupcake. From the outside, the chocolate cupcakes seem pretty unassuming. Rich and moist chocolate cake topped with a Swiss meringue buttercream, which is pretty delicious on its own. However, it only gets better when you bite into the cupcake and realize there is a thick layer of cookie dough sitting right on the bottom. It's the best of both worlds and a great way to have two desserts wrapped into one.
Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcake Recipe
So, how does the cookie dough get there? It's pretty simple actually and requires a typical batch of cupcakes and some cookie dough. The secret comes in right before the cupcakes go into the oven. The cupcakes get a small ball of cookie dough placed right into the middle. The dough spreads out in the oven, allowing it to get gooey, like a perfectly cooked cookie in the bottom of your chocolate cupcake.
Over the years, I've used this recipe in both sheet cakes and cupcakes. I first found this recipe on the back of some box cake, want to say a Betty Crocker mix, or something like that. When I was younger, I always made cookie dough from scratch or used the slice and bake. I never used a mix, so I was skeptical about it coming out well, but let me tell you there is something to be said for shortcut desserts.
The whole recipe was pretty simple. You made the boxed cookie dough and then the boxed cake. Once the cake was ready to go in the sheet pan, you dropped dollops of the cookie dough around the cake batter, just a few inches apart. In the oven, the cookie layer evens out to form a smooth layer of chocolate chip cookies on the bottom. The trick was easy, tasted delicious, and truly wowed everyone when they cut into it.
Cookies, Cupcakes, and Frosting
This little trick works just as well in cupcakes. Since it's right around Valentine's Day, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting seemed like a good idea. I had some Valentine's Day-themed sprinkles from a mystery grab bag purchase from Fancy Sprinkles, so everything came together pretty fast.
For the frosting, I used Swiss meringue buttercream, which has easily become my new favorite frosting. It is a bit more time-consuming and detailed process compared to making American buttercream, but it's worth in my opinion. The frosting doesn't have that overly sweet quality that American buttercream does. The sweetness is subtle and really carries the chocolate flavor.
Ingreidents Needed To Make Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Cookie Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter - softened
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Chocolate chips
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Cake flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs - at room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Canola oil
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk - at room temperature
Frosting
- Egg whites
- Granulated sugar
- Butter - unsalted and softened
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Melted chocolate
How To Make Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the cookie dough: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. When the butter mixture is creamy, add in the eggs, one at a time making sure they are fully combined after each addition. Once combined, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture (do this slowly if using a stand mixer to not get flour all over the place). Place cookie dough in the fridge to cool while you make the cupcakes.
- Make the cupcakes: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla with a whisk. Mix together until fully combined. Add the milk and dry ingredients, alternating after each mix. Whisk the mixture together, but don't over-mix the batter. It will be a little loose and that's fine.
- Add the cookie dough to the cupcakes: Grab the cookie dough from the fridge and let it sit out while you pour the batter into the tin. Fill each tin with the chocolate batter about halfway. Add 1 small ball of cookie dough in the middle of each cupcake tin, the cookie dough balls should be about 1 teaspoon each. Bake for about 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back at you when you touch it. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the tin before taking out of the molds.
- Make the frosting: While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Prepare a double boiler with a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl. Then separate the eggs, making sure to get no egg yolks into the bowl. If you do, the eggs will not whip properly. Whisk the sugar into the eggs until it looks pretty much dissolved. Place the egg mixture over the small saucepan and continue to whisk for about 4 minutes. Use a sugar thermometer or an instant-read thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. When it reaches 160°F the sugar mixture is ready. Pour the mixture directly into the stand mixer or hand mixer and get mixing! Whip the egg mixture just like you would to get stiff peaks. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Add in the butter: With the stiff peaks ready to go, stick over to your paddle attachment if you are using a stand mixer. Then slowly add in the butter one tablespoon at a time. You want the butter to be soft, but not melty. If it starts to get too soft, stick it in the fridge for a few minutes. Once all of the butter is mixed in, add the vanilla, melted chocolate, and salt. If you want to use a different flavor than chocolate, add it here as well.
- Frost and enjoy: With the cupcakes cooled, frost the cupcakes however you would like. I used a giant piping tip but feel free to spread it on with just a spoon. The cupcakes should last about a week in an air-tight container. If you have any extra frosting that can be frozen for about 2-3 months.
How To Store Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
The cupcakes will last 3-5 days in an airtight container. The cupcakes can also be frozen before they are frosted. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then store them in the freezer for 2-3 months. When ready to serve, leave them out for a few hours to thaw. Make the frosting fresh, as it will not freeze well.
FAQs
For these chocolate cookie dough cupcakes, the key to keeping them moist is all in the buttermilk. The dairy product keeps the cake super light and moist.
No, if you do not have cake four, you can use AP flour. The cake flour keeps the cupcakes nice and tender. When using AP flour, you can add a small amount of cornstarch as a substitution for cake flour.
Swiss buttercream isn't as sweet as typical American buttercream. It is made with heated sugar that cooks the egg whites, resulting in a super smooth and pipable frosting.
Check out the recipe below and have a very chocolatey Valentine's Day Celebration.
Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
30
minutes40
minutesSuper moist chocolate cupcakes filled with cookie dough and topped with fluffy chocolate frosting. The recipe yields around 12 cupcakes with a standard muffin tin.
Ingredients
- Cookie Dough
2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
- Chocolate Cupcakes
¾ cup cake flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup canola oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
6 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
1 and ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
6 oz melted chocolate of your choice
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the cookie dough. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. When the butter mixture is creamy, add in the eggs, one at a time making sure they are fully combined after each addition. Once combined, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture (do this slowly if using a stand mixer to not get flour all over the place). Place cookie dough in the fridge to cool while you make the cupcakes.
- Make the cupcakes. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla with a whisk. Mix together until fully combined. Add the milk and dry ingredients, alternating after each mix. Whisk the mixture together, but don't over-mix the batter. It will be a little loose and that's fine.
- Grab the cookie dough from the fridge and let is sit out while you pour the batter in the tin. Fill each tin with the chocolate batter about halfway, don't add more of the cupcakes that will overflow. Add 1 small ball of cookie dough in the middle of each cupcake tin, the cookie dough balls should be about 1 teaspoon each. Bake for about 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back at you when you touch it. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the tin before taking them out of the molds.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Prepare a double boiler with a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl. Then separate the eggs, making sure to get no egg yolks into the bowl. If you do, the eggs will not whip properly. Whisk the sugar into the eggs until it looks pretty much dissolved. Place the egg mixture over the small saucepan and continue to whisk for about 4 minutes. The mixture will look thick and kinda congealed at first, but keep mixing! It will turn to be frosty and thin over time. Use a sugar thermometer or an instant-read thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. When it reaches 160°F the sugar mixture is ready. Pour the mixture directly into the stand mixer or hand mixer and get mixing! Whip the egg mixture just like you would to get stiff peaks. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Keep mixing until you get stiff peaks too! Don't stop when they look almost ready. If they start being stubborn, or your mixture needs a break, stick the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes and give everything a rest. This should result in stiff peaks from the next mix. With the stiff peaks ready to go, stick over to your paddle attachment if you are using a stand mixer. Then slowly add in the butter one tablespoon at a time. You want the butter to be soft, but not melty. If it starts to get too soft, stick it in the fridge for a few minutes. Once all of the butter is mixed in, add the vanilla, melted chocolate, and salt. If you want to use a different flavor than chocolate, add it here as well.
- With the cupcakes cooled, frost the cupcakes however you would like. I used a giant piping tip but feel free to spread it on with just a spoon. The cupcakes should last about a week in an air-tight container. If you have any extra frosting that can be frozen for about 2-3 months.
Notes
- If you don't have cake flour, just use AP flour
- If the frosting starts to get soupy while mixing in the butter, place it in the fridge for a few minutes.
Did you make this recipe?! Let me know and share it on Instagram. Tag @crispcrumble and use the hashtag #crispandcrumble.
This recipe was inspired and adapted by Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes from Sally's Baking Addiction and Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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