Chocolate Overload Cupcakes

Chocolate Overload Cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and plenty of chocolate candies on top– overloaded!

October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day! Celebrate by picking up a chocolate cupcake at your favorite bakery, or make these Chocolate Overload Cupcakes (much like the little sister of traditional chocolate cake) at home. Share your chocolate cupcake on social media today by using the hashtag #NationalChocolateCupcakeDay, #ChocolateCupcakeDay and #RecipesForHolidays. Be sure to check out my October Food Holidays page so you can follow all of the food holidays for the month of October!

“Forget love- I’d rather fall in chocolate!”

-Sandra J. Dykes

The History of Cupcakes:

Cupcakes first appeared in a 1776 cookbook: American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. She mentioned these cakes baked in small cups. They were not called, “cupcakes” until 1828, when another cookbook by Eliza Leslie used that term.

The first cupcakes were not frosted. Instead they were flavored with spices and/or dried fruit.

Cupcake tins (or muffin pans) were invented sometime in the late 1800’s. Prior to that, people baked cupcakes in whatever small baking dishes they could find.

In 1919, Hostess introduced the very first “snack cake,” which was actually a cupcake. Hostess was the first to serve cupcakes with chocolate icing. Hostess cupcakes have always been a popular item on store shelves. Currently, they sell more than 600 million cupcakes per year.

Popularity of the cupcake soared when the Sex and the City movie featured Magnolia Bakery and their cupcakes in the movie in the early 2000’s.

In 2005, Sprinkles, the world’s first cupcake-only bakery opened. They now have 11 stores, and they sell over 25,000 cupcakes per day. Now there are hundreds of cupcake bakeries in the United States.

How to make Chocolate Overload Cupcakes:

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Then add in wet ingredients, adding in hot coffee last. Spoon the cupcake batter into muffin tins that are lined with paper liners, filling them about half-full.

Make the chocolate buttercream frosting in another bowl.

Gather your favorite chocolate candies that you will want to place on top of your chocolate overload cupcakes!

Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. There should be a little rise on them but not much. Let cool. Then add the frosting to a piping bag with whatever decorative tip you’d like, and frost the cupcakes.

Add your favorite chocolate candies on top. I suggest M&M’s and mini Kit Kat and Hershey’s bars. But really, you can add whatever chocolate things you want to make these the most awesome Chocolate Overload Cupcakes ever!

I like to keep these in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. A Tupperware-like cupcake holder is your best bet!

Fun Facts About Cupcakes:

• Over 800 million cupcakes are eaten in the United States every year.
• Chocolate is the most popular cupcake flavor.
• The world’s largest cupcake ever created was 1,200 pounds and had 2 million calories.
• The record for eating the most cupcakes is 29 cupcakes eaten in 30 seconds.
• Although Hostess cupcakes were invented in 1919, the man responsible for the seven-looped curlicue – which was added to Hostess cupcakes more than 30 years later – was DR ‘Doc’ Rice.
• During the 1950’s, paper baking cups for cupcakes became popular.
• In 2012, Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery opened the 1st cupcake ATM machine in Beverly Hills, dispensing cupcakes 24 hours per day. Cupcake lovers were able to satisfy their cupcake cravings immediately at this machine!
• 13% of brides choose to serve cupcakes at their weddings instead of traditional wedding cake.
• In Britain, cupcakes are called “fairy cakes,” and in Australia they are called “patty cakes.”