Soft Frosted Chocolate Cookies: AKA Cupcake Tops
Sneak Preview: These Soft Frosted Chocolate Cookies taste just like the tops of chocolate cupcakes with a rich, ganache-like frosting. Best of all, they’re small—so you can indulge in more than one!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Love cupcakes, especially the frosted tops? Then you have to try these soft frosted chocolate cookies. When I shared some extras with a friend, she nailed it when she said, “They taste just like the top of a frosted cupcake!”
Three Reasons To Add Cupcake Tops to Your Cookie Recipe Collection
- Mini chocolate cakes with luscious frosting
- Instant espresso and Dutch cocoa create a deep, rich flavor
- A secret ingredient in the frosting you’ll never guess
Recipe Inspiration
My obsession with frosted cookies started with ugly, irregularly shaped, frosted cinnamon cookies my Grandma used to bake for us.
I’ve become slightly obsessed with frosted cookies like these Frosted Lemon Yogurt Cookies and Mini Black and Whites. Like parents with more than one child, my affection for frosted cookies multiplies with each new recipe added to my collection.
The Secret Ingredient in the Frosting
The magic ingredient? Sour cream (lite works too). Don’t worry—you won’t taste it. For less frosting, just swipe a little across the top—no need to get fancy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour:
- Unbleached or bleached all-purpose flour
- Cocoa:
- Hershey’s Special Dark (a blend of natural and Dutch cocoa)
- Dutch Chocolate–any brand
- Butter:
- Soften to room temperature; should dent with a finger
- Salted or unsalted
- Sugar:
- Granulated only; no substitutes
- Buttermilk or Yogurt:
- Thin yogurt with milk to buttermilk consistency
- Instant Espresso:
- Intensifies chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste
- Bittersweet Chocolate Chips:
- Ghirardelli preferred
- semi-sweet for a sweeter taste
- Sour Cream:
- Lite sour cream can replace full-fat
- Substitute homemade creme fraiche
📌Kitchen Tip📌
These cookies should be cake-like in texture. If they aren’t, the dough may have been overworked or overmixed, which develops the gluten.
Parting Thoughts: If you like soft frosted cookies, don’t hesitate to try these. Even though sour cream may sound weird in the frosting, it’s absolutely delicious!
Help at Your Fingertips: Email Paula at saladinajar.com for quick troubleshooting. Attach pictures and details for the best advice.
Soft Frosted Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (11 g) cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar
- 1 (50 g) large egg
- 2 (58 g) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
- ¾ cup (180 g) buttermilk or unflavored yogurt (thinned with milk to buttermilk consistency)
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup (170 g) bittersweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (79 g) sour cream + another tablespoon
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Whisk or sift together 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons (11 g) cocoa, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium-size bowl.
- Use a stand mixer to beat ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened until smooth. Add in 1 cup (198 g) sugar and 1 (50 g) large eggix for two minutes. Add cooled 2 (58 g) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and mix. Add 1 (50 g) large egg and mix for another minute.
- Combine ¾ cup (180 g) buttermilk or yogurt, ½ teaspoon instant espresso, optional, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add alternately with dry ingredients and blend into the egg and sugar mixture until mixed.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Drop dough by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until no imprint remains when a cookie is lightly touched. Frost cookies when cooled.
Frosting
- Melt 1 cup (170 g) bittersweet chocolate chips in a microwave on MEDIUM for 1-½ to 2 minutes. Stir and let stand for 3-4 minutes till it all melts. Stir in ⅓ cup (79 g) sour cream + another tablespoon. Add 1 cup (120 g) confectioner’s sugar and beat with a spoon.
- Frosting will be thick and gloppy at first. But as you beat, it will become smooth and shiny. Add another tablespoon or more of sour cream to thin to spreadable consistency. Spread on cooled cookies immediately. Let cookies sit until frosting dries slightly.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.