Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
These chocolate cupcakes are moist, fudgy and topped with chocolate frosting. This small-batch recipe yields just 6-7 cupcakes, so it's perfect when you don't have too many mouths to feed.
Servings: 6 cupcakes
Equipment
- muffin tin
- muffin papers
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola
- 1/2 cup white sugar I use caster sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk* see recipe notes for substitute
Chocolate Frosting*
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or whipping cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees and line a muffin tin with muffin papers. You'll end up with 6 or 7 cupcakes in total. I always use the middle 6 muffin cavities because I find the cupcakes cook more evenly.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla extract and egg. Then whisk in the buttermilk.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each about 1/2 - 2/3 full. You should end up with 6 or 7 cupcakes total. Be sure not to fill the cupcake liners to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Chocolate Frosting*
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter until soft.
- Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. If it's lumpy, be sure to sift it first.
- Add in the cocoa powder (again, sifting if lumpy), vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined.
- Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of milk/cream until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with a knife, or transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost. I used a piping bag and a Wilton 1M piping tip.
Notes
- If you're in a pinch, buttermilk can be substituted with 1/3 cup milk (I prefer 1% or 2% over skim) and 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix the vinegar and milk together and let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
- If you only want a thin layer of frosting, instead of piping a thick amount on top of each cupcake, feel free to half the frosting recipe. You'll need:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on 1 cupcake with frosting, assuming the recipe yields 6 equal-sized cupcakes and the frosting is divided evenly between the cupcakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 544IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg