These Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes are UTTERLY delicious!  They start with a super dark and moist cupcake.  A spoonful of homemade eggless cookie dough gets stuffed into the baked cupcakes and the most decadent whipped chocolate ganache frosting finishes these over the top cupcakes!

A dark chocolate cupcake with a cookie dough center and whipped chocolate ganache frosting.

All of my friends seem to be chocoholics, so I decided to make a chocolate cupcake that would satisfy all of their chocolate cravings with an added bonus.  Who doesn’t love raw cookie dough?  Don’t worry, this cookie dough doesn’t contain eggs!

There are three parts to this recipe, but they’re all easy.  Bake the cupcakes, mix up the easy cookie dough and make the whipped chocolate ganache.

THE CUPCAKES AND COOKIE DOUGH

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How to make Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache!

CUPCAKES

The cupcakes are very easy to make.  I actually used my Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting recipe for the cupcakes.  If you’re wondering why they’re so dark, I used special dark cocoa.  However, you can use regular cocoa if you don’t want the intensely dark chocolate flavor.  Yeah right!  Once I baked the cupcakes, I allowed them to cool completely.  Once cooled, I used an apple corer to remove the very center of the cupcake, and I reserved the portion I removed.  You can use a knife if you don’t have an apple corer.  It doesn’t have to look perfect.  Once I inserted cookie dough into each cupcake, I placed some of the reserved cupcake over the hole, but you can skip this step if you prefer.  The cupcake will be covered with frosting anyway.

COOKIE DOUGH

The cookie dough is EGGLESS!  It literally takes 5 minutes to mix together.  I added mini chocolate chips to the dough.  I mixed up the cookie dough while the cupcakes were baking.  I rolled enough dough to form a ball, about the size of a walnut.  Then I formed the dough into the shape of a log and gently pushed it into the hole in the center of the cupcake.  Once the dough log is pushed down into the center of the cupcake it will expand back into a more rounded shape.

Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

The chocolate ganache takes a few minutes to make but it is super easy!  Why does it take a few minutes?  Because we’re taking regular chocolate ganache and whipping it into the most decadent chocolate frosting you ever tasted.  It needs to be refrigerated for a few minutes until it’s very cold before being whipped.

GANACHE STEP 1

The first step in the ganache is chopping the chocolate and heating some whipping cream just to a simmer.  Make sure you don’t bring the whipping cream to a boil…just a simmer.

GANACHE STEP 2

Next, drop the chopped chocolate into the hot whipping cream.  Allow the mixture to sit for about 3 minutes before whisking the two together.  Whisk the chocolate and whipping cream until the chocolate is thoroughly blended with the whipping cream.  Refrigerate the mixture until it is very cold.

GANACHE STEP 3

Once the ganache is chilled, it can be used to pour over your favorite dessert as a thin sheet of shiny chocolate, but here we’re taking it one step further.   We’re whipping it into the most creamy and delicious frosting ever!!

Transfer the ganache to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk the ganache until it becomes thick and lighter in color.  It will become less shiny and have more of a slightly glossy appearance.  The picture on the right above shows how it should look.  You’ll be tempted to eat a large spoonful at this point!!

 

Now frost the cupcakes!  I used a piping bag and a 1M tip.  Refrigerate the cupcakes until about 30 minutes before serving.

You might also like Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting.

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A dark chocolate cupcake with a cookie dough center and whipped chocolate ganache frosting.

Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

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  • Author: Cindy Gibbs
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Cupcakes
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes are SUPER moist and tucked inside is a huge bite of chocolate chip cookie dough.  Don’t worry it’s eggless!  The show stopping finale is the whipped chocolate ganache frosting that is piled high on top of them.  You’ll think you died and went to heaven when you sink your teeth into one of these cupcakes!


Ingredients

Units Scale

CUPCAKES

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cocoa (I used Hershey’s special dark)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

COOKIE DOUGH

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • Four 4-ounce bars of good quality chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 cups, 16-ounces, heavy whipping cream


Instructions

CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with 24 liners and set aside.

  1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.
  2. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars on high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.
  4. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and dry ingredients alternately in thirds to the mixing bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the dry ingredients.  When adding the flour, mix only until it’s incorporated.  Do not over mix.  Run a rubber spatula under the paddle to make sure all flour is incorporated.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, using one mounded ice cream scoop per liner.  Bake on a middle oven rack for approximately 20-25 minutes, when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to completely cool before frosting.

COOKIE DOUGH

  1. Add the butter and sugars to a medium bowl.  Mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Add the vanilla, flour, salt and chocolate chips and mix until well combined.
  2. Using a knife or an apple corer, remove the centers of the cupcakes and reserve.  Roll a small amount of cookie dough into a ball about the size of a walnut.  Then roll the dough in more of a log shape and push it down into the center of a cupcake.  Use some of the reserved cake to press and fill in the top of the hole on each cupcake.  Set cupcakes aside while you make the chocolate ganache.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  1. Add the whipping cream to a medium size microwavable bowl.  Heat the whipping cream in a microwave until it just begins to simmer.  There should be small bubbles forming around the edges.  Do not allow the cream to boil.
  2. Add the chopped chocolate to the hot whipping cream.  Allow the mixture to sit without stirring for about 3 minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, slowly blend the chocolate into the cream until the chocolate has completely melted and is totally incorporated into the cream.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes.  I run the spatula across the underneath of the mixture and slowly come up the sides and into the middle, turning the spatula as I do.  When the chocolate and whipping cream are well combined the result will be a dark shiny chocolate mixture.  At this point you have now made chocolate ganache!  Now take it one step further and turn it into whipped chocolate ganache.  
  3. Allow the chocolate ganache to completely cool.  I place it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Remove and stir it a few times with a spatula and return to the refrigerator.  Allow it to chill for 15 additional minutes and check it again.  Once the ganache is completely cool, transfer it to the mixing bowl of a stand mixture or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until the ganache becomes light in color and thick and creamy.  It will also have more of a sheen instead of a glossy appearance.
  4. Refrigerate until ready to use.  Gently mix the ganache a few times with a spatula before using.
  5. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with your favorite piping tip.  I used a Wilton 1M in the pictures above.  Decorate cupcakes.  Refrigerate cupcakes until about 30 minutes before serving.  Once the ganache sits out it will stay stable for several hours.  However, I don’t recomment leaving it out for several hours or overnight since it contains whippping cream.

Notes

  • The preparation time includes chilling the chocolate ganache.
Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes.
Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting.
A dark chocolate cupcake with a cookie dough center and whipped chocolate ganache frosting.