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S u p e r Mo i s t C h o c ol a t e
C u p c a ke s
Posted on June 22, 2017 / posted in Cupcakes / 936 comments
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These super moist chocolate cupcakes pack
TONS of chocolate flavor in each cupcake
wrapper! Made from simple everyday
ingredients, this easy cupcake recipe will be
your new favorite. For best results, use natural
cocoa powder and buttermilk. These
chocolate cupcakes taste completely over-
the-top with chocolate buttercream!
I apologize if the word “moist” freaks you out.
But there’s really no other way to describe a
chocolate cupcake like this! Also, who
watches How I Met Your Mother?! I feel like
that clip is only funny to HIMYM fans. That’s
my favorite episode!
Today we’re diving deep into what I like to call
a “foundation recipe.” Basic chocolate
cupcakes which are, indefinitely, anything but
basic.
Super Moist Chocolate Cupca…
This is a solid base recipe that serves as a
jumping o! point for many others. Like my
basic vanilla cupcakes recipe, these chocolate
cupcakes hold a sacred spot in my baking
repertoire. There will never be a reason to find
a better version– this is THE chocolate
cupcake recipe I use time and time again.
I shared the recipe 3 years ago, but I want to
walk you through the process (1) with step-
by-step pictures, (2) with careful explanations,
(3) and I want to emphasize one VERY crucial
instruction. If you skip this instruction, your
entire batch will be ruined. Trust me, the
evidence has landed in my trashcan time and
time again. It’s not pretty.
Curious about other foundation recipes?
1. Vanilla cupcakes and vanilla cake
2. Sugar cookies and chocolate sugar cookies
3. Chocolate cake (try this!!)
4. Brownies
Today’s chocolate cupcakes are for true
chocolate fans. I’m talking about those of you
who don’t qualify an item as dessert unless
there’s chocolate involved. Strawberry
shortcake is a dessert impostor and forget
about apple pie. That’s some sort of health
food, right?
You need 2 bowls, 1 whisk, and 1 spatula. The
base of these chocolate cupcakes– and what
is responsible for the super-moist texture is
oil. We’re not creaming butter here, so there is
no need to break out the mixer. Though you
can absolutely use a hand or stand mixer if it’s
easier for you! We’re also achieving an
incredibly moist texture with buttermilk. I
don’t typically have buttermilk in the fridge,
so I sour whole milk instead. Check out my
recipe notes for how to do that one.
Another tip? Make sure you’re using natural
unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutched
cocoa. Why? Here’s the di!erence between
dutch-process and natural cocoa powder. And
if you really want to learn today, here is why I
use both baking soda and baking powder in
these chocolate cupcakes.
So there’s 1 bowl for dry ingredients and 1
bowl for wet ingredients. Gently mix the two
together. The batter isn’t as thick as you
would think. We don’t really want a super
thick chocolate batter because that would
yield a cupcake similar to brownies. Dense.
We don’t want dense! We want spongey,
cakey, and rich.
Bene$ts of This
Superfood
Organic Chia Seeds
Find out why they’re called a superfood, buy
chia seeds at Healthy Options Philippines.
healthyoptions.com.ph
OPEN
This Will Make or Break Your
Recipe
Fill the cupcake liners only halfway full. Not
2/3, not 3/4, not all the way to the top. Half
full. You will question yourself as you pour in
the batter. Really? This is ALL that I’m using
for each cupcake? The answer is yes, that is all
you are using for each cupcake.
If you fill the liners too full, the cupcakes will
overflow.
Too full = crisp mushroom tops
Too full = sinking in the center
Got that? Halfway full! Halfway full!
Now that the cupcakes are baked and your
self control is fading quickly, it’s time to frost
these babes. The frosting flavor is completely
up to you. I have a plethora of options from
chocolate buttercream and rainbow chip
frosting to strawberry frosting, vanilla
buttercream, salted caramel frosting, and
cream cheese frosting. Keeping things
monotone (though highly indulgent) with
chocolate buttercream and a friendly dose of
chocolate sprinkles.
And layer that buttercream on nice and tall.
(used wilton 1M!)
I don’t normally reach for chocolate desserts
if there’s a fruity one on the menu, but I would
gladly unwrap one of these over any other
choice.
By the way, this recipe transfers beautifully
into cake pans to make a 6 inch cake!
Chocolate Cupcakes with
Vanilla Frosting
4.9 from 190 reviews
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
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Description
Made from simple everyday
ingredients, these chocolate
cupcakes with vanilla frosting will be
your new favorite. For best results,
use natural cocoa powder and
buttermilk.
Ingredients
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spoon
& leveled)
1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened natural
cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
eggs, at room temperature*
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown
sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable or canola
oil (or melted coconut oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
buttermilk, at room
temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter
butter, so"ened
to room temperature
4 – 5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’
sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, half-
and-half, or whole milk
milk, at room
temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
salt
salt, to taste
rainbow sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line a 12-cup mu!in pan with
cupcake liners. Line a second pan
with 2 liners – this recipe makes
about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
2 Cupcakes: Whisk the flour, cocoa
powder, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt together in a large
bowl until thoroughly combined.
Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk
the eggs, granulated sugar, brown
sugar, oil, and vanilla together until
combined. Pour half of the wet
ingredients into the dry
ingredients. Then half of the
buttermilk. Gently whisk for a few
seconds. Repeat with the remaining
wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir
until *just* combined; do not
overmix. The batter will be thin.
3 Pour or spoon the batter into the
liners. Fill only halfway (this is
imperative! only halfway!) to avoid
spilling over the sides or sinking.
4 Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a
toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean. Allow to cool
completely before frosting. I usually
let them cool in the pan.
5 Frosting: With a handheld or stand
mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment, beat the butter on
medium speed until creamy, about
2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups
confectioners’ sugar, the heavy
cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on
low speed for 30 seconds, then
increase to medium-high speed
and beat for 2 full minutes. Add up
to 1/2 cup more confectioners’
sugar if frosting is too thin or
another Tablespoon of cream if
frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of
salt if frosting is too sweet. (I add
1/8 teaspoon salt.) Use frosting
immediately or cover tightly and
store for up to 1 week in the
refrigerator or up to 3 months in the
freezer. A"er freezing, thaw in the
refrigerator then beat the frosting
on medium speed for a few seconds
so it’s creamy again. A"er thawing
or refrigerating, beating in a splash
of heavy cream or milk will help
thin the frosting out again, if
needed.
6 Frost cooled cupcakes however
you’d like. I used Wilton 1M piping
tip for these pictured cupcakes. Top
with sprinkles, if desired. Store
le"overs in the refrigerator for up to
5 days.
Notes
1 Make Ahead Instructions: You can
prepare cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep
cupcakes covered tightly at room
temperature and frost the day of serving.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2
months. Thaw overnight in the
refrigerator and bring to room
temperature before frosting and serving.
Frosting freezing instructions included in ×
step 5.
!
2 Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for
