Forget the bouquet of red roses, these Red Rose Chocolate Cupcakes are what your partner really wants for Valentine's Day. Fudgy chocolate cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a vanilla buttercream rose for a delicious treat.

These cupcakes are so easy to make but are sure to impress with their rose design. Using a Wilton 1M tip helps you get that classic rose look, but it's easy to make even for beginners.
A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED
- Room Temperature Ingredients:
- Butter: It’s important that the butter for both the cakes and frosting is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
- Eggs: You also want to make sure that the eggs are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they becomes room temperature.
- Measuring Your Ingredients:
- I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
- However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
- Oven Temperature:
- Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
- I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.
Preheat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with your spatula as needed. Add vanilla.
With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the coffee to the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, carefully scoop 2 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and split the remaining batter among the cupcakes until they look even.
Bake for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the pan cool on the cooling rack for 15 minutes before gently pulling the cupcakes out of the pan and letting them cool completely on the cooling rack.
Place the chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl. Place the heavy cream in a smaller heat safe bowl and microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring in between until the cream is hot.
Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until combined. Reheat for 10 seconds if the chocolate isn't fully melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
Cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the confectioners sugar by the spoonful followed by the vanilla, cream, and a few drops of red food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a cupcake corer or a small knife to carefully cut out the center of each cupcake about ¾ of the way down. Save the tops that you cut out as these will be added back.
Add the chocolate ganache to a pastry bag and carefully pipe into the centers of each cupcake until they're ¾ full. If your ganache is too thick, carefully reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds until it is a better piping consistency.
Gently add the tops back so they cover up the chocolate ganache. Scoop the vanilla buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or similar piping tip.
Starting in the middle of the cupcake, begin to pipe the frosting in a clockwise motion, moving to the outer rim of the cupcake until you have covered the entire top in a beautiful rose design. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes. Enjoy!
PrintRed Rose Chocolate Cupcakes
Forget the bouquet of red roses, these Red Rose Chocolate Cupcakes are what your partner really wants for Valentine's Day. Fudgy chocolate cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a vanilla buttercream rose for a delicious treat.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 135 grams (1 cup, 2 tbsp) flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 31 grams (¼ cup, 2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 75 grams (5 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 148 grams (¾ cup) sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 84 grams (¼ cup, 2 tbsp) buttermilk
- 3 oz (¼, 2 tbsp) freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 113 grams (½ cup) heavy cream
Vanilla Buttercream
- 8 oz (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 454 grams (4 cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 56 grams (¼ cup) heavy whipping cream or milk
- red food coloring
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with your spatula as needed. Add vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk.
- Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the coffee to the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, carefully scoop 2 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and split the remaining batter among the cupcakes until they look even.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the pan cool on the cooling rack for 15 minutes before gently pulling the cupcakes out of the pan and letting them cool completely on the cooling rack.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl.
- Place the heavy cream in a smaller heat safe bowl and microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring in between until the cream is hot.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until combined. Reheat for 10 seconds if the chocolate isn't fully melted.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Cream the butter until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the confectioners sugar by the spoonful followed by the vanilla, cream, and a few drops of red food coloring.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
Assembly
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a cupcake corer or a small knife to carefully cut out the center of each cupcake about ¾ of the way down. Save the tops that you cut out as these will be added back.
- Add the chocolate ganache to a pastry bag and carefully pipe into the centers of each cupcake until they're ¾ full. If your ganache is too thick, carefully reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds until it is a better piping consistency.
- Gently add the tops back so they cover up the chocolate ganache.
- Scoop the vanilla buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or similar piping tip.
- Starting in the middle of the cupcake, begin to pipe the frosting in a clockwise motion, moving to the outer rim of the cupcake until you have covered the entire top in a beautiful rose design. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes. Enjoy!
Notes
- These cupcakes can be placed in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to four days. However, they’re best enjoyed fresh or slightly warmed.
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