Double Kiss Cupcakes

Double Kiss Chocolate Cupcakes

Double kiss cupcakes deliver the surprise-and-reward combo kids absolutely adore. Each tender chocolate cupcake hides a Hershey’s Kiss buried in the center, which melts during baking into a gooey pocket of chocolate. A second kiss plants on top of the frosting for the photogenic finish. Every bite delivers cake, chocolate, and more chocolate.

This is an oil-and-butter Devil’s Food style chocolate cake batter, which uses hot water (or coffee) to bloom the cocoa powder. That blooming step is what gives cocoa-based chocolate cakes their deep, complex flavor. Without it, cocoa tastes thin and dusty. The two-leaveners combination (baking soda for lift and baking powder for tenderness) gives these cupcakes a velvety crumb.

Pressing the kiss about halfway down into the batter before baking is the trick. Plant it too shallow and it sinks and melts into the frosting; too deep and it pokes out the bottom.

Frost and top with the second kiss once fully cooled. Warm cupcakes melt frosting into a glossy puddle, which is charming if that’s your vibe but disastrous on a bake sale table.

Kitchen Tips

• Bring butter, eggs, and water to room temperature before mixing; cold ingredients seize the batter and give you dense, uneven cupcakes.
• Use Dutch-process cocoa for a darker, richer chocolate flavor; natural cocoa works but produces a lighter, more acidic crumb.
• Don’t overmix after adding flour; stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Overmixed cake batter develops gluten and turns rubbery.
• Store baked cupcakes frosting-free in an airtight container; frost within an hour of serving so the top kiss stays shiny.

Variations

• Use caramel-filled or peanut butter kisses for a different gooey surprise.
• Top with chocolate ganache instead of buttercream for a fancier finish.
• Add ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter and use mint-flavored kisses for a holiday spin.