These chocolate almond cupcakes have a surprise almond cream inside and are topped with chocolate buttercream frosting. Try them for your next summer bash!
Surprise Inside for Chocolate Almond Cupcakes
If you want a delicious cupcake with a sweet theme, look no further than these chocolate daisy cupcakes. They are so cute for a party! The daisy cupcake toppers seem to grow out of chocolate soil. But the best part is they have a surprise inside when you bite into them. The center is filled with almond cream!
Vintage Chocolate Almond Cupcakes Recipe
These cupcakes were inspired by a chocolate cake recipe I discovered in a vintage church cookbook. It was so delicious that I had to convert it into a cupcake recipe! The almond filling requires a few more steps for these cupcakes, but it is worth it!
Made From Scratch Chocolate Almond Cupcakes
This cake is made from scratch, and the taste is worth all the trouble. If you want to break the recipe into steps and make it over two days, I suggest making the cupcakes on day one and then the almond filling and frosting on the second day.
Almond Filling
The almond cream filling is similar to an almond buttercream but lighter tasting than traditional buttercream. Make the filling by mixing flour and milk and cooking it to thicken the mixture. Then cool the mixture before adding it to the butter. Sugar is added last and will make the filling light and fluffy.
Inserting the Almond Filling
I used a long piping tip and piping bag to insert the filling. A long piping tip works best, but a shorter one will work if you are careful not to break the cupcake in two when you insert it. Also, inserting too much filling can break the cupcake or blow up the top, so use care.
An alternative way to place cream inside the cupcake is to cut out a circle of the cupcake top. You can do this with a spoon. Remove the cut circle of the cake, insert the cream, and replace the cake. Fortunately, the frosting will cover up a messy top.
Chocolate Frosting
The chocolate buttercream frosting is also flavored with almond extract. After tasting the frosting, you can add more almond extract if you desire a richer flavor. You can make the frosting a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Set it out two hours before you want to use it, and beat it with a mixer to re-fluff it. Enjoy!
Other Almond Recipes
If you like this recipe, here are others to try. Click on each name to link to the recipe.
- Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Black Cherry Almond Bread
- Strawberry Almond Trifle
- Buttermilk Almond Pound Cake
- Happy New Year (Almond Cookies)
Summer Daisy Table
Click here to see a Summer Daisy Table that inspired these cupcakes.
Chocolate Almond Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 large star piping tip
- 1 piping bag
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup boiling water
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature (shake the buttermilk well before using)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Almond Cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole milk or half and half
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (icing sugar)
Chocolate Almond Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream (or half and half)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together the cocoa powder and water and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter. Gradually add the sugar and beat until well mixed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overmix.
- Stir in the cocoa powder, water mixture, and vanilla and almond extracts.
- Divide the batter between 24 cupcake liners. If using medium-sized stand-alone cups (as shown in the photos), this recipe will make about 18 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack to cool.
Almond Cream
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk. Heat on medium-low heat until it thickens. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until it reaches room temperature, 5-10 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the chilled flour mixture, almond and vanilla extracts, and salt. Beat to mix. Add the sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy.
- Place the tip in the piping bag with the bag end snipped off. Add the almond cream to the bag. In the middle of each cupcake, insert the piping tip and squeeze a small amount of the almond cream into each one. You can also cut a core from the middle of each cupcake, add the cream, and then replace it.
Chocolate Almond Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Beat until well mixed. Add the sugar and cream, alternating, until all is added. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost the cupcakes.