These moist, delicious mini chocolate cupcakes are topped with a cool, luscious and creamy yet firm whipped cream chocolate mousse frosting. The mousse frosting contrasts beautifully with the cupcakes and together they make a wonderful bite-size dessert that’s full of chocolate flavor.
For more creamy chocolate flavors, also check out these individual chocolate trifles!
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What’s in the chocolate mousse frosting?
You only need 2 ingredients for the mousse frosting: chocolate and heavy cream. (Be sure to use a chocolate bar and not chocolate morsels. Morsels contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting properly.)
What’s in the chocolate cupcake batter?
Recipe and ingredient notes & tips:
- When preparing the frosting, make sure that the chocolate gets melted fully. If there are still little pieces of undissolved chocolate in the cream, you will end up with a grainy frosting.
- The long chill time (at least 8 hours) for the melted chocolate is necessary for the frosting to whip up properly. Please don’t be tempted to cut it short.
- Just like with regular whipped cream, it’s possible to overwhip the mousse frosting. Be sure to stop whipping when the mousse has reached firm peaks.
- Be sure to treat the frosting like you would treat whipped cream. Keep the frosted cupcakes refrigerated if you’re not serving them immediately.
How to make the frosting:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
NOTE: The chocolate mix for this mousse frosting needs to chill for 8 hours, so be sure to plan for that.
Step 1. Add chocolate and heavy cream to a saucepan.
Step 2. Dissolve the chocolate over low heat.
Step 3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and chill for 8 hours.
Step 4. Whip the frosting to firm peaks (don’t overwhip). Keep refrigerated.
How to make the cupcakes:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Prepare the pan with mini cupcake liners.
Step 2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Step 3. Whisk together cocoa powder, boiling water and instant espresso powder. Set aside.
Step 4. Cream butter and sugar, then add vanilla, egg and the dry ingredients.
Step 5. Whip in the chocolate mix. Spoon the batter into the liners.
Step 6. Bake the cupcakes, let them cool, then pipe on the frosting.
How to serve the mini cupcakes:
Serve the mini cupcakes by themselves or drizzle a spoonful of this seedless blackberry sauce on the frosting!
Frequently asked questions:
You can make the cupcakes up to 5 hours ahead and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
A mini cupcake baked in a mini muffin pan is about 1 ¾ inches in diameter and about 1 ½ inches tall (including the frosting).
No, unfortunately not. You have to use mini cupcakes liners. If you don’t, the cupcakes will stick to the pan.
Fill each mini cupcake liner about ⅔ full.
Yes, using an ice cream scoop is a simple and mess-free way to fill the batter into the cupcake liners.
Use a 1 tablespoon scoop and fill each mini cupcake liner with about 1 tablespoon of batter (that should be about ⅔ full).
No, that is not necessary. Just set the cupcake liners directly into the dry pan.
More delicious bite-size desserts:
- Bourbon Ganache Truffles3 Hours 20 Minutes
- Spiced Chocolate Ginger Truffles3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Salted Caramel Toffee1 Hours 40 Minutes
- Coffee Cream Puffs (Coffee Choux Buns) with Coffee Glaze1 Hours 20 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- saucepan
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- mixing bowls
- plastic wrap
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- mini muffin pan
- mini muffin pan liners
- whisk
- spoons
- toothpick
- piping bag with tip
Ingredients:
For the frosting:
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate*
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the mini cupcakes:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions:
For the frosting:
- Add chocolate and cream to a saucepan.
- Slowly heat and stir the mix until the chocolate is fully dissolved. Be careful not to let the cream get too hot, it should just be hot enough to dissolve the chocolate. (But do be sure to dissolve the chocolate fully.)**
- Let the mix cool, then transfer it to a mixing bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Whip the mix with an electric mixer until firm (don't overwhip).***
For the mini cupcakes:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a mini muffin pan with 20 liners.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk boiling water, cocoa powder and instant espresso powder together until dissolved. Set aside.
- Whip butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add vanilla and egg and continue to whip until well combined and creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients and whip until well combined.
- Add the chocolate mix and continue to whip until well combined.
- Distribute the batter among the muffin wells, filling each well ⅔ full.
- Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (10 – 15 minutes).
- Let the cupcakes cool, then pipe on the frosting.
Notes:
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
I saw these on Facebook.
They look beautiful and I am convinced that small bites have less calories than the equivalent amount of a large cake!!!!
Pinning these :-)
Nicole B.
Yes, Claire, there is probably some magic like that going on! ;)