Best Chocolate Cupcake
The recipe for Best Chocolate Cupcake! This cupcake is velvety with a slightly dense and moist texture. Perfect as a dessert or for a birthday treat.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder natural or Dutched will both work with this recipe
- 1/4 cup (57 gms approx) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 ounces (57 gms) chocolate Choose your favorite. You can use any chocolate that you like except white chocolate or candy melts. The chocolate doesn't have to be one typically earmarked for baking - any chocolate bar that doesn't contain mix-ins like nutsRice Krispies, nougat, etc. will work.
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 9 tbsp vegetable oil This is the same as 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp measure in a liquid measuring cup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream you can use same qty full fat yogurt as substitute
- 1/2 cup water room temperature measured in a liquid measuring cup
- For Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups icing/confectioners' sugar add more if needed to get desired stiffness
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
- Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
- Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Mix in water until just combined.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven. Check for doneness at 18 minutes - a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.
- Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature. Although they are really good when they are hot, be sure to wait until they are room temperature to give your evaluation.
- To make Icing
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, beat butter at high speed for three minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in cocoa powder.
- Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Mix in vanilla and salt.
- Pipe over or spread onto desserts.
Notes
- If you would like to add coffee to the recipe, either add 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules along with the sifted dry ingredients
- The chocolate in these cupcakes doesn't have to be one typically earmarked for baking - any chocolate, bar, chips, or discs that don't contain mix-ins (like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc.) will work. This way, you can choose whatever type of chocolate you prefer to eat: milk, dark, or even flavored chocolate bars. or replace the water with room temperature brewed coffee.
- I got 12 cupcakes from the above qty.
- You can make this recipe as a cake. You will just need to increase the baking time.
- I only made half qty of icing
- I used 2 tbsp of milk to loosen the icing since I was spreading it, instead of piping.
- Add more powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar) as needed if you want a stiffer buttercream.
- The frosting lasts for up to a week at room temperature or months in the freezer.
- If frozen, you will need to bring it to room temperature and mix it again for a minute or two before you start piping.