Chocolate Cupcakes

I made these chocolate cupcakes to go with my chocolate swiss meringue buttercream the other day and it was just perfect. These chocolate cupcakes are so light and fluffy too!

While these are baking, follow my Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe to make the perfect topping! 🙂

You need these ingredients to make your chocolate cupcakes:

• all-purpose flour
• cocoa powder
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• egg
• granulated sugar
• light brown sugar
• vegetable oil
• vanilla extract
• buttermilk

Equipment to make chocolate cupcakes:

• 2x bowls
• whisk
• spatula
• cupcake tin
• kitchen scale

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with 7 liners

This recipe makes exactly 7 cupcakes, so feel free to double the recipe if you want to make more!

Next, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

This step ensures all the leavening agents are properly dispersed throughout your batter in the end. It will ensure that you have 7 uniform cupcakes!

Whisk together egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla.

Similar to the last step, this ensures everything incorporated thoroughly.

Add half of the wet ingredients and buttermilk to the dry ingredients.

Make sure you mix until it just combined! You don’t want to overmix the batter because it results in a dense cupcake.

Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients and buttermilk to the dry ingredients.

Adding these ingredients in two steps makes the chocolate cupcakes light and fluffy. Don’t forget to mix until it is just combined.

Fill cupcake liners with batter halfway.

This recipe makes exactly 7 cupcakes so it should fill each liner perfectly. Overfilled cupcakes mean they will sink in the middle, while underfilled cupcakes won’t have the classic dome shape.

Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the chocolate cupcakes comes out clean.

Since these are chocolate cupcakes, it can be difficult to tell if they are done or not. My go-to is to test it with a toothpick at the 18-minute mark or you can press your finger on top of the cupcake and if it springs back they are done! Remember to note that all ovens are different so you may need more or less time!

Let cool and frost with your desired buttercream!

Remember to let your cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack so the steam doesn’t ruin them! Also, by cooling them completely, it will ensure the frosting doesn’t melt 🙂 Feel free to use my Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe to frost your chocolate cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip to frost the cupcakes in the photographs. I also topped them with some mini eggs for the perfect Easter treat.

FAQ

Why didn’t my chocolate cupcakes rise?

Make sure your leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda) are not expired. On another note, the cocoa powder reacts with the buttermilk to help the cupcakes rise, so make sure you are using buttermilk and not regular milk. Lastly, when you are mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, try to not overmix! You should stop mixing when the batter is just combined and homogenous.

Do I need buttermilk for my chocolate cupcakes?

Yes, you do! This acidic milk reacts with the alkaline cocoa powder to help the cupcakes rise. You can find buttermilk in some grocery stores, but it’s actually really easy to make at home! All you need is ¼ cup of whole milk and combine it with two teaspoons of lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes for it to sour and then you have your buttermilk!

How do I store my chocolate cupcakes?

Frosted cupcakes should be eaten the day you make them, or you can store them in an airtight container and put them in the fridge for up to 5 days. If cupcakes are unfrosted, you can also freeze them and then defrost them at room temperature when you need them. Freeze cupcakes for up to one month.

How do I know when my chocolate cupcakes are done?

Your cupcakes will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. This means that there is no raw batter visible on the cupcake. There might be a few stray crumbs, but it’s pretty much done by then! You can also test by pressing your finger on the top of the cupcake and if the cake springs back up when you release your finger, then it is ready as well.

Feel free to comment down below if you have any more questions!