Chocolate Cupcakes
This chocolate cupcakes recipe is easy to make and absolutely delicious. And it's just as good made with gluten-free flour as it is with regular all-purpose flour.
Servings 36 cupcakes
Equipment
- 3 12-hole muffin tins
- 36 cupcake liners
- small saucepan or microwave-proof glass bowl
- egg separator (optional)
- Small bowl
- 2 mixing bowls
- mixing spoon
- electric mixer with a whisk attachment, or a hand-held whisk
- wire rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter or 1 1/4 sticks
- 1 ¼ cups cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- home-made or store-bought frosting
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Line 3 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat on the stove, or in a small glass bowl in the microwave. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups cocoa, 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 1/4 teaspoon salt with a mixing spoon.
- Separate one of the eggs, keeping the egg yolk for this recipe.
- The next few steps can either be done by hand with a whisk, or with an electric mixer that has a whisk attachment.
- In another large bowl, whisk 2 eggs and the egg yolk together until fluffy.
- Mix 1 1/4 cups warm water, 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla with the eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until they are combined and the batter is smooth.
- Fill each of the cupcake liners about half full with batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Set the cupcake tins on the wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Then remove the cupcakes from the tins and leave them on the rack until they are completely cool.
- Add the frosting of your choice.
Notes
- If you are using all-purpose flour (ie. not the gluten-free kind), be careful not to mix the batter too much or the gluten will harden causing your cupcakes to be tough and chewy.
- Using a egg separator is the easiest way to separate the yolk from the egg white. But you can do the same thing by passing the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the egg shell until all of the egg white has dripped off. In either case, doing this over a separate bowl is a good idea in case the yolk breaks (or you accidentally drop it in the bowl).
- Make sure that the cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting, otherwise the icing will melt.
- Cupcakes can be stored without frosting in an air tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Chocolate Layer Cake: This recipe also makes a delicious chocolate layer cake, following the same directions except for the type of pan and cooking time:
- Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking oil or shortening (or line the bottom with parchment paper).
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 45 minutes.
- For homemade icing, try our chocolate frosting or cream cheese icing recipes.