Truly the Best Chocolate Cupcakes
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
17 mins
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Total Time
32 mins
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Servings
24 cupcakes
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Calories
96 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Truly the Best Chocolate Cupcakes
Description
This chocolate cupcake recipe blends granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, natural cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixed with avocado oil, eggs, vanilla, milk, and hot coffee to create a smooth thin batter. The hot coffee plays a key role in intensifying the chocolate flavor by blooming the natural cocoa powder, resulting in rich but balanced chocolate notes. Cornstarch adds tenderness and supports the cupcake's shape, producing slightly domed tops.
Once baked at 350°F in lined muffin tins, the cupcakes have a moist texture with a soft crumb, suitable for frosting with chocolate buttercream or any preferred topping. The frosting may be applied generously or modestly depending on preference, highlighting the chocolate flavor of the cake beneath.
The recipe is carefully scaled to produce 24 cupcakes and can be adapted for cake pans with adjusted baking times. The original recipe includes extensive notes about cocoa powder types, liquid substitutions, and presentation tips, emphasizing the careful balance of ingredients to achieve the best texture and flavor for chocolate cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder see note 1, natural
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch see note 2
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup avocado oil or canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 egg room temperature preferred, plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup milk room temperature preferred, whole
- 1 cup coffee see note 3, may substitute hot water, hot
- 1 batch buttercream or preferred frosting, chocolate flavor
Instructions
- Arrange rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (I make this recipe with an electric mixer but it can be done by hand using a whisk and spatula instead).
- Add canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until batter is combined (it will be a bit dry and crumbly but all of the flour mixture should be moistened before proceeding).
- Drizzle in milk while stirring and stir until batter is uniform and completely combined.
- Gradually add hot coffee or hot water (take care not to burn yourself!) and stir until liquid is completely incorporated into the batter and you have a smooth chocolate batter. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well-combined. The batter will be very thin, this is normal!
- Evenly divide batter into prepared muffin tin, but take care to fill liners between ½ and not more than ⅔ of the way full, this is typically about 3 Tablespoons of batter or less per cupcake liner. Over-filled liners will result in cupcakes with flat tops and they may cave in on themselves. If you have excess batter, discard it (or make extra cupcakes!).
- Transfer one pan of cupcakes to 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (or clean). Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in baking pan before carefully removing to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting (I like to use a knife to gently pry up the cupcake from the bottom and then carefully lift it out to a cooling rack). Repeat with second pan of cupcakes
- Once cupcakes have cooled, frost with my chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting recipe.
Notes
- Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor; Dutch process cocoa changes flavor and color.
- Cornstarch improves cupcake tenderness and domed shape but can be omitted with flatter results.
- Hot liquids like coffee or water bloom cocoa powder; coffee enriches flavor but water can be substituted if preferred.
- Baking times vary by pan size; monitor for doneness with a toothpick test.
- Frost generously or moderately; less frosting showcases the cupcake’s chocolate flavor better.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 96 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cupcake | |
| Calories | 96kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 178mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 61mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 22IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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