Double dark chocolate cupcakes are the perfect answer to your chocolate craving. Chocolate cake + chocolate frosting = chocolate match-made in heaven. Plus they’re topped with a chocolate avocado frosting to make them a little healthier! When I first discovered black cocoa, we NEEDED to try it. It looks so cool and we had never heard of it before. If you hadn’t heard of it before today, but you’ve eaten an Oreo, then you’ve actually had it! Oreos are made with black cocoa, which gives the cookies that classic Oreo-black color. Black cocoa has almost all of the bitterness processed out of it so it doesn’t taste like super dark chocolate does. We use a mixture of black and traditional cocoa powders to give these double dark chocolate cupcakes a well-rounded chocolate flavor. And then the frosting.. we use an avocado (yes AVOCADO) chocolate frosting to top these cupcakes off that will deceive your taste buds!
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
When I first discovered black cocoa, we had to try it. It looks so cool and I had never heard of it before. Oreos are actually made with black cocoa, which gives the cookies that classic Oreo-black color. Black cocoa has almost all of the bitterness processed out of it so it doesn’t taste like super dark chocolate does. I use a mixture of black and traditional cocoa powders to give these double dark chocolate cupcakes a well-rounded chocolate flavor.
Ingredient Highlights – Chocolate Cupcakes
- Black cocoa – this may be tough to find in your local supermarket. I order this brand on Amazon! King Arthur Baking Company also has a black cocoa powder.
- Dutch process cocoa powder – I have found this bakes best in chocolate cakes and cupcakes!
- Cake flour – cake flour is softer than all-purpose flour because of its lower protein content. Regular AP flour will work but we suggest cake flour to keep the cake light and soft!
- Olive oil – I use olive oil in lieu of butter simply for the health benefits. You could use butter if you prefer!
- Kefir – kefir can be substituted 1:1 for buttermilk in a recipe! Since the black cocoa powder needs an acid to neutralize it, the traditional ingredient used is buttermilk. Since kefir has nutritional benefits like natural probiotics, I sub that.
- Mashed banana – this is a low-calorie way to provide moisture (plus some nutrition) without a lot of fat.
- Hot coffee – this gets mixed in right at the end before the batter is portioned out. The coffee just brings out the chocolate flavor so well! Since the recipe doesn’t call for a large quantity, there isn’t a strong coffee flavor in these double dark chocolate cupcakes.
Ingredient Highlights – Chocolate Avocado Frosting
- Avocados – you want to make sure your avocados are super ripe and soft so that they mash and blend with the other ingredients well.
- Powdered sugar – although not 100% necessary, I recommend sifting the powdered sugar before using it. This will help remove any clumps and create a smooth frosting.
- Cornstarch – this simply helps to thicken the frosting.
Recipe FAQ
Nope! Black cocoa is ultra Dutch-processed so it’s even more processed than Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This removes almost all of the bitterness that dark chocolate has, giving the cocoa powder a smooth chocolate flavor.
Only for a few seconds while you eat it 🙂 I love black cocoa powder because it’s naturally black so there aren’t any artificial food colorings. However, it’s literally black so I recommend chewing with your mouth closed!
Yes! You want to be careful to not overmix the batter and it will be thinner than usual cake batter. This is totally normal!
No! I promise. Avocados have such a mild flavor and the cocoa powders + sugar really take over in this chocolate avocado frosting recipe. Pro tip – it’s even better the next day!
Other recipes you may like
If you love these festive black cocoa cupcakes, you might also like:
- Healthy Buckeyes (Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites)
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Healthy Cookie Dough Dip
Rate and review below!
If you made my double dark chocolate cupcakes (aka the perfect Halloween cupcakes), please rate and review my recipe below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation! 🙂
PrintDouble Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Have you ever heard of black cocoa? Well that’s what gives these cupcakes a *literal* black color. A mixture of black and traditional cocoa powders gives these double dark chocolate cupcakes a well-rounded chocolate flavor. And then the frosting.. I use an avocado (yes AVOCADO) chocolate frosting to top these cupcakes off that will deceive your taste buds!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 34 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert, Festive
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups (322g) cake flour, sifted
- 2/3 cup (100g) black cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/3 cup (36g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp (4.5g) baking soda
- 2 tsp (7g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- 3/4 cup (165g) olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (258g) low-fat plain Kefir, room temp
- 1 Tbsp (8g) vanilla extract
- 1 mashed banana (90g)
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1/2 cup (100g) hot coffee
For the frosting:
- 4 ripe avocados (466g)
- 3 cups (412g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup (74g) black cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (54g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (3g) cornstarch
- 1/2 (3g) tsp salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cupcake tin by lining with liners & spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add oil, sugar, kefir, vanilla extract, and mashed banana. Mix until combined.
- Add eggs and stir until combined.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, and mix (using a stand mixer or hand mixer) until just combined.
- Stir in coffee. Be careful not to overmix! Batter will be thin.
- Fill each cupcake tin 1/3 of the way full.
- Bake 20-22 minutes or a until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For the frosting:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender, food processor, or large mixing bowl using a hand mixer (if using a bowl, be sure it’s large – ingredients may splatter!).
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Generously frost the cupcakes. If making these for Halloween, decorate with festive sprinkles, candy corn, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- These are the perfect cupcakes for Halloween because of their color. I decorated ours with festive sprinkles and candy corn!
- The frosting is better the next day so I recommend making the frosting ahead of time.
- Cupcakes will last in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days (the longer they sit, the drier they become) or freezer for up to 2 months.
- If you freeze the cupcakes, I suggest waiting to frost them until they’re ready to be eaten.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 23
- Sodium: 173
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 17
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