Moist and easy chocolate cupcakes!!! A super easy recipe for a yummy and delicious chocolate cupcake. For me anything chocolate is good enough and what’s better than a quick batch of chocolate cupcakes that everyone can enjoy…perfect to make with your kiddos and enjoyed by chocolate lovers… Rich and moist, this chocolate cupcake has it all. If you are looking for a chocolate cupcake that requires minimal effort and is packed full of flavor then here is the perfect recipe.
When it comes to cakes no one really wants to be eating a dry cake! Even if you can get something that has a nice moist texture then the overall cake itself is just that much tastier. This especially implies to chocolate cakes, chocolates cakes taste that much better when they are moist and fluffy.
There is one amazing ingredient in this recipe that gives the chocolate cupcakes the perfect taste and texture and that is buttermilk! Yes buttermilk….! Buttermilk is the main Ingredient which helps to give cupcakes that moist texture. It helps breakdown the gluten which in turn gives the cupcakes a softer texture and more body…buttermilk also gives the cake a very slight tangy flavor which adds to the overall flavor of the cupcakes.
If you don’t have buttermilk at home or its not available at your local store then it can be made at home very easily using whole milk and lemon juice. So for this recipe add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk. Give it a good stir and leave it aside for 10-15 minutes before using it in the recipe.
A few more important ingredients for this moist and easy chocolate cupcake recipe
Canola oil: I use canola oil in this recipe instead of butter. The canola oil also helps to moisten the cupcakes.
Hot water: to get more of the chocolatey flavor use hot water to bring out the flavor of the cocoa. Hot water reacts with the cocoa and gives the cupcakes a rich flavor. When using cocoa powder go for the natural unsweetened not the Dutch-process cocoa. The natural unsweetened reacts well with baking soda which helps the cupcakes to rise and has a stronger flavor than the Dutch-process. Which is of course perfect for chocolate cupcakes!
Don’t forget to top your cupcakes with your favorite frosting, whether it’s fresh cream, buttercream or cream cheese frosting…
My daughter helped make a delicious chocolate buttercream which she also decorated the cupcakes with…it was super yummy…I’ll have the recipe for the buttercream here in this blog too.
Check out the pictures for a step by step guide for these moist and easy chocolate cupcakes.
Enjoy!!!
Moist and easy chocolate cupcakes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings10
minutes20
minutesA easy recipe for moist chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients for cupcake batter
1 cup all purpose/plain flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
- Wet ingredients for cupcake batter
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the chocolate buttercream
1 cup of room temperature softened unsalted butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk
100 grams of your preferred chocolate, melted. I used semi sweet chocolate.
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit/160 degrees Celsius. Line cupcake tray with cupcake liners
- In a large bowl add in all the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda
- Use a whisk to mix all these ingredients up
- In another bowl add in all the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, hot water, vanilla extract and eggs
- Use a whisk to mix all the wet ingredients up
- Then add the wet mixed ingredients to the dry mix ingredients
- Use a whisk to mix everything up really well so all the ingredients are well combined. Don’t over mix
- The mixer will be very runny! So for ease of pouring, first pour the mixer into a jug. This will help to pour and fill the cupcake liners/cases. Fill the liners 2/3 of the way up. Some of mine were overfilled!! Overfilling won’t give you the perfect cupcake look, will not bake properly and will overflow when they rise
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Use a skewer to check if they are done, skewer should come out clean. If not then bake for another minute or two
- Transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack and let them completely cool. You could eat them just as or frost them. Check the next steps for frosting
- To make chocolate buttercream
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with whisk attachment or using a electric hand whisk, add in the room temperature softened butter
- Beat the butter for 5 minutes until light, airy and pale in color
- Scrape down the bowl with a spatula while beating the butter to get a even mixing
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar in half cup increments beating for a minute for every half cup
- Keep beating until everything is well combined, once the buttercream starts to thicken up add in the milk and vanilla extract to thin out the consistency
- In a microwavable bowl add in the chocolate by breaking the chocolate into smaller pieces
- Microwave at 30 second intervals, checking to see if the chocolate has melted, stir in between
- Add the melted chocolate to the buttercream
- Mix again for another minute until all the chocolate is mixed in well and then transfer buttercream into a piping bag with preferred nozzle tip
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes in whichever way you like and enjoy!
Notes
- Cupcakes will stay good at room temperature without frosting in a airtight container for a few days or with frosting in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Check out my recipe for yummy vanilla cupcakes!
