Today’s Dalmatian Cupcakes brought back a childhood memory … When I was three, my dad brought home a dog from the pound. A large male Dalmatian named King. When I ran up to give him a big hug, not understanding that you don’t approach a strange dog quickly, he didn’t react well.
Before I knew it, my dad had snatched me up and set me on top of a tall chest of drawers. The dog was jumping up and barking beneath my feet. I thought it was funny and was kicking my legs – I liked being up so high. My dad took King back to the pound where I’m sure he found a better family for him without little children.
We had dogs my entire life and I adore them. I still stop when I see dogs on the street to get my “puppy fix” for a few minutes but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized why Dalmatians weren’t my favorites. I thought they were pretty but wasn’t enamored. Then one day I put the memory together with my feelings and had my answer.
So, these cupcakes are my favorite kind of Dalmatian, LOL. Every inch is packed with mini chocolate chips giving us chocolate in every bite. They are topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and the ganache drizzle adds a fun pop.
I bumped up the amount of vanilla in the cupcakes to be sure it balances against the chocolate chips. Since it is the only flavoring in the batter, use more than you are used to. And if you use vanilla paste you will get beautiful little vanilla speckles throughout that burst with flavor.
If you want plain vanilla cupcakes – maybe served with a chocolate frosting – just leave out the chocolate chips. This batter is flavorful enough to easily stand on its own!
I hope you love these fun Dalmatian Cupcakes. They make a statement at any party! Happy Chocolate Monday!
Key Ingredients for Dalmatian Cupcakes:
- GF Flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt
- Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla paste or extract
- Whole milk, mini chocolate chips
- Cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar
- Heavy cream, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
PRO Tip:
Be sure you use mini chocolate chips so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter and you get a little bit in every bite.
How to make Dalmatian Cupcakes:
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside
- Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the eggs and vanilla; mix in dry ingredients alternating with the milk; stir in chocolate chips
- Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake about 18 minutes until golden; cool completely
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together; mix in the vanilla
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, adding more if needed for a good piping consistency
- Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a tip; pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes
- Heat the cream, add the chocolate and once it is softened, whisk until fully melted and the mixture is smooth
- Pipe over the frosted cupcakes and set aside to set up before serving
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Gluten-Free Tips:
Using a 1-to-1 style of gluten-free flour blend is a simple swap for regular cake flour. Because of the higher starch content in GF blends, there is no need to convert GF all-purpose flour to a cake flour substitute. Just add a touch of xanthan gum or psyllium husk powder to help avoid crumbling and to keep them fresher a little longer.
Dalmatian Cupcakes (Gluten Free)
Dalmatian Cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes studded with mini chocolate chips that look like the spots on a Dalmatian. Fun and delicious, the perfect treat!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups (240 g) 1-to-1 style gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum or 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder, only if you are using a gluten-free flour blend
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1-1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or pure extract
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
Ganache
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or as needed
- 1/4 lb (114 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 18 to 20 muffin cups with paper wrappers.
- Prepare the Cupcakes: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix in, then add the milk, again beating in. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the muffin pans for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla. Slowly add and beat in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add more sugar if needed to get a good piping consistency.
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe the frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Set aside to firm up.
- Make the Ganache: Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to just below a boil, stirring often. Add the chopped chocolate and let sit off the heat for a couple of minutes to soften. Whisk together until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Pour into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Press into the tip or one corner and twist the open end closed. Turn it upside down and snip off a small piece off the point with scissors. Drizzle the ganache over the tops of the cupcakes. Set the cupcakes aside to let the ganache firm up before serving.
Notes
Enhanced Taste of Home recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 512Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 298mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 1gSugar: 67gProtein: 4g
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This post was first shared in March 2018. The article was updated in 2020.
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