Description
Midnight Rose Garden Cupcakes are the dramatically gorgeous, deeply chocolatey showstopper dessert that makes everyone go completely silent for the first two seconds after they take a bite. A moist dark cocoa cake base is crowned with silky chocolate buttercream piped into stunning rosettes, finished with edible roses and a dusting of cocoa that makes each cupcake look like something from a Parisian patisserie.
Ingredients
For the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
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- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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- 1 cup granulated sugar
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- 1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process cocoa gives the deepest, most dramatic color)
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- 1 teaspoon baking powder
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- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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- 1 large egg, room temperature
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- 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk (buttermilk creates a slightly more tender crumb)
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- 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
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- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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- 1 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water (coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor dramatically — use water if preferred)
For the Chocolate Rose Buttercream:
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- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
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- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
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- 1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
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- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
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- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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- 1/4 teaspoon salt
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- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon rose extract for a subtle floral note
For Decoration:
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- Edible roses or dried edible rose petals
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- Edible glitter or luster dust
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- Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bring your eggs and milk to room temperature now if you have not already — room temperature dairy and eggs incorporate into batter more smoothly and produce a better rise.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until well combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Slowly pour the hot coffee or hot water into the batter while stirring gently. Thin batter from hot liquid blooming the cocoa is what produces those incredibly moist, fudgy cupcakes.
Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full — no more, or the batter will overflow. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and very fluffy. Sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar gradually on LOW speed to avoid a cloud of sugar. Add vanilla, salt, and heavy cream one tablespoon at a time and beat on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes until the buttercream is light, smooth, and holds stiff peaks.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (Wilton 1M) with buttercream. Hold the bag straight up over the center of each cooled cupcake. Start from the center and pipe in a circular motion working outward, finishing with a small swirl at the outer edge.
Dust a fine layer of cocoa powder over each finished rosette using a small sieve. Place one edible rose or a pinch of dried rose petals in the center of each cupcake. Finish with a shimmer of edible glitter for that midnight garden magic.
Notes
Cool cupcakes completely before frosting — minimum 1 full hour.
Even slightly warm cupcakes melt the buttercream.
Sift powdered sugar and cocoa before using — lumps clog the star tip and ruin the piping. Amelia’s
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American