Be bold through flavours with these statement Barbecue Sauce Chocolate Cupcakes. Perhaps shocking that you see barbecue sauce in bakes, but the right use and proportion of barbecue sauce adds such good flavours and texture. The usage of Barbecue Sauce here creates a flavourful sweet and salty combination.

In this recipe, I chose a Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce from McCormick’s as it provides a light sweetness. This is exactly what I needed for a sweet and savoury cupcake. Furthermore, the bold flavours allow just a dollop of sauce to go a long way. Additionally, I finished my cupcakes with a brown sugar cream cheese frosting to complement.

It’s not always easy when it comes to the matching of flavour profiles. However, I had lots of fun developing this recipe as it’s different from what I’ve worked before. Hence, it’s like an empty canvas for me to work on! I would say the most closely resembling recipe would be the usage of mayonnaise in chocolate cupcakes! If you’re skeptical about the flavour profile, I suggest not finishing it with barbecue sauce first and to taste the cupcake with the frosting.

The making of these cupcakes is straightforward, one-bowl and easy peasy (two bowls if making frosting!). Afterall, it’s just like any cupcakes but these Barbecue Sauce Chocolate Cupcakes are insanely moist and fluffy.

Without further ado, the recipe!

Barbecue Sauce Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
by Javier Tan July-14-2022

Make a bold, flavourful statement with these Barbecue Sauce Chocolate Cupcakes that are both sweet and savoury!

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • 1/2 Cup or 120g of Unsalted Butter, Melted (Or Veg Oil, or Half Butter, Half Veg Oil)
  • 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbspn or 65g Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup or 50g White Sugar
  • 3 Tbspn or approx 30g McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup or 90ml of Milk, Room Temp
  • 1/4 Cup or 80ml of Coffee (Or 80ml water + 2 teaspoons of dissolved coffee granules)
  • 2 Eggs, large, 55g each
  • 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon or 6g of Baking Powder
  • 3 Tablespoon or 24g of Black Cocoa Powder
  • 1 and 1/4 Cup or 145g of All-Purpose Flour, Sifted
  • 1/4 Tsp or 1.25ml Vanilla Essence
  • Pinch of salt

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 3/4 Cup or 170g of Cream Cheese, Softened at Room Temp
  • 1 Tablespoons or 14g of Unsalted Butter, Softened at Room Temp
  • 1 Cup or 120g of Powdered Sugar, Sifted
  • 1/4 Cup or 50g of Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon or 2.5ml of Vanilla Essence (Optional)
  • McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce (warmed up), to taste

Instructions

Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and place paper liners in your cupcake / muffin tin.
  2. Whisk together the cooled, melted butter and sugar together until well incorporated.
  3. Next, whisk in the two eggs.
  4. Then, whisk in the coffee, barbecue sauce, vanilla, pinch of salt, and milk until a single consistency is formed.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder separately (dry ingredients).
  6. Subsequently, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder half at a time and fold until it is of a single consistency. Do not over mix.
  7. Distribute the batter evenly until its about 2/3 full and bake until it has fully risen, approx 18 – 22 minutes. The center should be bouncy to a light touch of a spoon.
  8. Next, set aside the cupcakes to cool for approx an hour or two before frosting.
  9. Finally, serve and enjoy!

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Firstly, cream together the cream cheese, vanilla, and butter.
  2. Secondly, sift and mix in the icing sugar until it is stiffer and thicker. If it’s too stiff, add some milk (approx 10ml) to loosen it
  3. Then, whisk in the brown sugar until well-integrated.
  4. Pipe the frosting, and top with barbecue sauce if you’re feeling bold!

Details

  • Prep time: 3 hours
  • Cook time: 20 mins
  • Total time: 3 hours 20 mins
  • Yield: 12 – 16 Cupcakes

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my InstagramFacebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Serve fresh at room temperature (on the day itself) or in a fridge (up to a week)
  3. If storing the cupcake with no frosting in the freezer (up to a week), seal it in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Leave at room temperature for 40 minutes before serving!
  4. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan