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My favourite chocolate cupcake recipe
- Denise
- May 7, 2020
- 3 min read
A few weeks ago I made some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I used an AGA oven for the very first time which meant that I had to put my cupcake tin into a larger roasting oven to maintain an even temperature. I tweaked a couple things from a cupcake recipe by Sally's Baking Addiction to make these lovely things!
Chocolate cupcake recipe:
95g all-purpose flour
60g dutch processed cocoa powder *
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
110g granulated sugar*
70g light brown sugar*
20g dark brown sugar*
80ml sunflower oil*
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
120ml buttermilk, at room temperature (I made my own using semi-skimmed milk and a teaspoon of white vinegar!)
1 shot of espresso*
Buttercream frosting recipe:
I use a 2:1 ratio of icing sugar to butter.
150g unsalted butter (room temperature)
300g icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk (added slowly)
2/3 teaspoon vanilla paste
*These are the things I added/tweaked from existing recipe which I honestly think enhanced texture and flavour!
Important things to note:
Good quality coco powder is essential! I used Callebaut. I would suggest either using Calleabuat, Valhrona or Guittard.
Good quality vanilla! I use Taylor & Colledge's vanilla bean paste which is the only vanilla I use! It's the best! I buy mine from Waitrose but you can get it from Amazon too.
Espresso really brings out the flavour of chocolate - I highly recommend using it!
If you don't have buttermilk at hand (I never do) then you can make your own by adding a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon to milk.
Make sure your oven temperature is correct! If you're unsure of it or using a cast iron oven then I would suggest to create a baking tray by placing your cupcake tray into a larger roasting tin.
For the buttercream, don't forget to properly beat the butter first using the flat paddle attachment (of a kitchen aid or similar) until pale before adding the icing sugar - this will make it super light and fluffy.
Instructions
Preheat the oven 170°C. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes.*
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, dark and light brown sugar, oil, espresso 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. Be careful not to over-mix! Stop when batter has been just mixed. The batter will be thin.
Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only halfway to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. I used a variety of tips as you can see - I used Wilton's 1M for the roses. Store leftovers on counter overnight and refrigerate following days (these lasted a night over the counter as they were eaten quick! So yum!).
*If using an AGA oven, place cold shelf on the very top and place DIY baking tray towards the bottom of the roasting oven.
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And there you have it - my favourite chocolate cupcake recipe. They're moist and decadent and quite straight forward to make. As long as you weigh out the ingredients beforehand you'll find it easy to follow. You don't even need a stand mixer for this recipe as you're not creaming butter and sugar together for the batter (lighter cakes such as vanilla cakes or victoria sponges require this). If you do try this out, let me know and I really hope you enjoy!
That's all for now, I hope you're all staying home and staying well!
Denise
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