German Chocolate Cupcakes

These German Chocolate Cupcakes are made with a deliciously moist and rich chocolate cupcake base, filled with a thick and smooth chocolate mousse frosting and topped with a homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting. These are the best German Chocolate Cupcakes you’ll ever have!

Did you know that each year for my birthday I make some form of a German chocolate dessert for myself? (And yes I make it for myself!) If you’re a big German chocolate fan too, then you should definitely check out my Small German Chocolate Cake, German Chocolate Brownies, German Chocolate Ice Cream, and my 8-inch layered German Chocolate Cake recipe!

Why This Recipe Works

• Every element is perfection. The chocolate cupcake base is so moist and tender, the toasted coconut pecan frosting has a perfect consistency, not too stiff and not too runny, and the chocolate mousse is light, rich and fluffy! 
• Rich chocolate flavor. The German Chocolate cupcake recipe uses the cocoa blooming method. This means we add hot water to the mixture which helps to bring out a richer chocolate flavor.
• Perfectly delicious coconut pecan frosting. Not only is this frosting made from scratch, but we use toasted coconut and toasted pecans for the frosting which makes a big difference.

Ingredient Notes

• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder: This is different than your classic unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder is darker in color and richer in flavor. Learn more about the Best Cocoa Powder for Baking and why we use the different kinds! 
• Buttermilk: You want the buttermilk to be at room temperature to help incorporate into the German cupcake batter better. The buttermilk is an acid which will react when combined with the baking soda, providing a light texture (while also providing moisture!). 
• Hot Water: The hot water blooms the cocoa powder. Blooming cocoa powder is what happens when you add hot liquid to the cocoa powder. It brings out a richer and deeper chocolate flavor. 
• Vegetable Oil: The best fat for cakes and cupcakes is oil! This keeps the cupcakes much more moist than if the batter was made with butter. 
• Homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting: You’ll need a 1/2 batch of my Coconut Pecan Frosting. The frosting is made with heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, toasted pecans, and toasted coconut. The toasted coconut pecan filling found in German chocolate cakes will top our cupcakes. 
• Unsalted Butter: This forms the base of the chocolate frosting mousse. I prefer using unsalted butter since there isn’t any salt called for in the recipe. 
• Powdered Sugar: If you sift the powdered sugar, you’ll get a smoother texture. 
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Use a baking chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips include stabilizers to help them keep their shape. This makes the chocolate harder to melt smoothly. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until combined. 
2. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the egg, buttermilk, hot water, oil and vanilla extract to a large liquid measuring cup. Whisk until combined. 
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Increase to medium speed and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 
4. Fill the cupcake liners. Line a cupcake pan with liners and fill each liner 1/2 full with the German Chocolate cupcake batter. 

5. Bake the German chocolate cupcakes. Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center most cupcake comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Remove and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Core the German Chocolate cupcakes. Using a cupcake corer or a piping tip (see recipe tips for details) remove the center of each cupcake.

7. Make the Coconut Pecan Frosting Recipe. Make a 1/2 batch of my coconut pecan frosting recipe. You’ll want to make some Toasted Coconut for the frosting.

8. Make the whipped chocolate mousse. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the butter for 4 minutes until smooth. On low, add the powdered sugar. Once combined, add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Whip for 1 minute on medium speed. Add the heavy cream and whip for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whip for 30 seconds. Place in a piping bag. 

9. Fill with mousse and top with frosting. Fill the centers of the cupcakes with the chocolate mousse and spread some of the coconut pecan frosting on top. Enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

I used hot water for these German Chocolate cupcakes, however hot coffee is a great alternative. Coffee is known to accentuate chocolate flavor, so if you’re a coffee drinker, you can use coffee! I don’t drink coffee so I used hot water.

Only fill the liners half full. The cupcakes will rise quite a bit in the oven so to avoid any muffin tops, refrain from overfilling the liners.

If you have a cupcake corer, you can use that to remove the cores. If you don’t, use a large piping tip. Place the larger end on top of the cupcake in the center. Turn the piping tip in a circle while you gently press down until you reach about halfway down the cupcake. Remove the piping tip and you’ll have the core of the cupcake in the piping tip. I suggest you eat the cupcake core! It’s good! I like to spoon a little of the mousse and coconut pecan frosting and top it with the cupcake core and eat it right away 🙂 

Use toasted coconut and toasted pecans for the frosting. I’ve made this frosting without toasted coconut and it didn’t work. The texture was way off! Toasting coconut is really easy, I have an easy and straight forward guide to toasting coconut so be sure to check it out. The coconut-pecan frosting is the classic German Chocolate frosting! 

Make the frosting while the cupcakes are in the oven. This way the coconut pecan frosting and the cupcakes can be cooling at the same time.

My cupcakes baked for 14-15 minutes. If your oven temperature is a bit off, you may have to bake them longer, about 18 minutes. Check the cupcakes to make sure you don’t over bake them. Over baking cake will make them dry. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

You can make each of the elements in this German cupcakes recipe ahead of time and store them to make or frost later. 

Store German Chocolate cupcakes in the fridge for 3-4 days. Mine never last past 1 day. We devour these delicious cupcakes the same day! But you can store each element as instructed below. 

The chocolate buttercream mousse will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-6 days. 

Coconut pecan frosting will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight. 

To freeze the cupcakes (unfrosted) let cool completely and then wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. These will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge, core, fill with mousse and top with frosting. 

To freeze filled and frosted cupcakes, flash freeze until the frosting is firm. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. These will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Recipe FAQs

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