Cacao Chocolate Cupcakes

These amazingly decadent cacao chocolate cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just as a fun dessert. The cupcakes are made with cacao tea which has a delicious chocolate flavor. The cacao is very easy to substitute and adds an incredible richness to these cupcakes. Read more to find out how you can use cacao tea in your dessert recipes!

I have fallen in love with this new tea called Cacao. Once I drank a cup, I was hooked and immediately started dreaming up dessert recipes!

When I opened the bag and smelled the cacao tea, I will admit, I got a little excited. There are a few foods that, when you smell them, just make you tip your head back and say, “Ahhhhhhh,” and THIS is one of them!

What is Cacao Tea and how do you use it in recipes?

Cacao tea (which is also known as chocolate tea or cocoa tea) is 100% natural. You brew it from cacao husks (also known as cacao shells). The tea is a loose-leaf style tea which, when steeped in boiling water, results in a delicious tea which tastes like chocolate! Can it get any better than that!?!

You don’t use the actual cacao husks in recipes. Rather you steep the cacao husks in very hot water and then use the tea in desserts and other baked items.

Creating the Cacao Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

When you drink this tea, it immediately makes you think of chocolate. When I had a cup, my mind went to work on how I could experiment with recipes. I found it very easy to substitute concentrated cacao tea for other liquids. This cacao chocolate cupcake recipes is a result of those experiments. And I must say, it is now my new favorite cupcake!!!

Related Cupcake Recipes: Galaxy Decorated Chocolate Cupcakes

Where can you get Cacao Tea?

You can order a bag of this delicious Cacao Tea from our friends over at Cacao Tea Co. They ship within a day of ordering and their website is filled with all kinds of interesting information about Cacao, it’s health benefits, and how it’s harvested. I received my tea very quickly, and it came in a sealed bag which locked in all the rich chocolaty flavors!

Tips for steeping Cacao Tea for baking

If you wanted to simply drink the Cacao tea, you would steep about 2 teaspoons of the cacao tea husks in about a cup of hot boiling water for about 6-8 minutes. It’s best to use a lid while steeping to keep the water very hot. The husks should be strained out of the tea before drinking it.

For baking purposes, sometimes you need to use a very specific amount of liquid. I found it easier to make a more concentrated brew of the tea and then I could use that in my recipes. For baking, I would recommend using a tablespoon of the cacao tea in about a half a cup of hot water.

We use small tea brewers to make all of our teas, and this type helped us make the concentrated version of the cacao tea easily. Use about 3/4 cup of water to create a true half cup of the tea as the husks absorb some of the water.

Allow the cacao tea to cool before adding it into your recipes. For these cacao chocolate cupcakes, I used the concentrated cacao tea in the batter as a substitute for water. I also used the cacao tea in the frosting recipe!!!

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Here’s the recipe for the Cacao Chocolate Cupcakes:

Cacao Chocolate Cupcakes

These amazingly decadent cacao chocolate cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just as a fun dessert. The cupcakes are made with cacao tea which has a delicious chocolate flavor. The cacao is very easy to substitute and adds an incredible richness to these cupcakes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 38 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Course: Dessert, Party Food

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Cacao Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 + 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Trader Joes Unsweetened Chocolate Cocoa
• 1/4 cup Cacao Chocolate Bar Chopped
• 1 + 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 + 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Cacao Tea Prepared 1 Tbsp of cacao tea husks steeped in 3/4 cup water, reduces to about 1/2 cup

Cacao Frosting

• 1 cup Butter softened
• 4 cups Confectioners' sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp Cacao Tea steeped and cooled
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

 

Instructions for Cacao Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Spray liners with non-stick spray.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir slowly to combine.
3. To the dry ingredients, add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tsp vanilla and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the 1/2 cup cacao tea (being careful not to splash!) Combine with a mixer or a whisk. Once combined, use an ice cream scooper to scoop batter into each liner cup (fill each cup only 3/4 full).
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Check cupcakes by inserting a toothpick or sharp knife into the center to make sure they are done (knife should come out clean). Let cool before adding frosting to the top.

Instructions for Cacao Frosting

1. Add butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp cooled cacao tea into a large mixing bowl. Combine with a mixer on medium speed. If you want the frosting thinner, add another Tbsp of cacao tea and combine with mixer.
2. Use a piping bag with a decorating tip to add cacao frosting to the cupcakes.
   

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