BEST Chocolate Cupcakes

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The best chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting, just in time for spooky season. These cupcakes are so soft and fluffy that you’ll be back for one more.. or two 🙂

I was gifted a bunch of flour and other goodies from Bobs Red Mill and with Halloween approaching, my first though was: BAKE CUPCAKES.

These chocolate cupcakes are old fashioned, filled with flour, sugar, topped with butter and more sugar. But hey, isn’t that what this time of year is about? Sugar? 

You can easily eat these without the buttercream frosting but it makes them even more decadent. The buttercream frosting can be adjusted so it’s at the right consistency for piping onto cupcakes.

I wanted a spooky feel to my cupcakes, so I mixed red and yellow food dye hoping to get orange – it was giving more a of a pink though. Not to worry though, a drop of blue food dye surprisingly gave me the orange I was looking for!

Baking is a science so I highly recommend sticking to this recipe. I haven’t tried substitutions in this but you’re more than welcome to and let me know how it goes! My only advice is that substituting ingredients could result in a different texture and taste, so beware.

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Print Recipe

Best Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Decadent, soft, chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats

Keyword: chocolate cupcakes recipe

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Choclate Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup Hot, strong, Coffee
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder I used Hersheys
• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Buttercream Frosting

• 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Chocolate Sprinkles - OPTIONAL

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Place cupcake liners in a 12 count muffin tin. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix hot coffee and cocoa powder until well dissolved.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, combine milk, flour, oil, egg and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
• Add half the milk mixture to the flour mixture, using an electric mixer. Mix on medium high for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Make sure the chocolate mixture is lukewarm, then mix it into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix for about 30 seconds. Batter will be wet!
• Evenly pour into cupcake liners and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until you can stick a toothpick in one and it comes out clean.

Buttercream Frosting

• In a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer, beat butter for about a minute until creamy smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix on low to combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then beat in the heavy whipping cream. If you need more heavy whipping cream, add it in 1/4 cup increments to get your desired consistency.
• OPTIONAL: Mix red and yellow food coloring into the frosting, then add a drop or two of blue dye to get the deep orange color.
• Add frosting to a piping bag with a spiked tip to get the effect seen in my photos.

Notes

• These rise, A LOT. Don't be surprised if they come out cone shaped, but you can slice off the top part for a flatter cupcake for piping.
• I was told by a reader that WILTON food coloring, does not produce the desired color. I used the Market Pantry Dye from Target.

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