Chocolate cupcakes

Easy chocolate cupcakes (with optional chocolate frosting)

There are so many awesome chocolate cupcake recipes out there - this one is a mash-up of my favourite bits of the ones I think work the best. This recipe makes batter and frosting for around 12 medium sized cupcakes (or 24 mini ones).

mini version of these cupcakes (decorated with silver cashous)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 80g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup self-raising flour (you can use plain with 2 teaspoons baking powder)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (you can substitute with regular milk)

Method:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 160 degree celsius (or 180 if your oven is not fan forced).
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer (adding the vanilla bean paste at the end)

butter and sugar

start of the creaming process - but not there yet!

creamed butter and sugar with vanilla bean paste added

Step 3: Add the eggs, mixing them in one at a time (still using the electric mixer)

cupcake batter with eggs mixed in

Step 4: Sift the cocoa and flour

Step 5: Add the buttermilk and sifted cocoa/flour in smallish alternating batches, using a wooden spoon to mix in until just combined
mix in alternating batches of flour/cocoa and buttermilk

completed chocolate cupcake batter

Step 6: Spoon the cupcake batter into cases and place cases in a muffin tin

medium cupcake - fill about1/3 of the case with batter

medium cupcakes

mini cupcakes
Step 7: Place tray into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a cake skewer comes out clean
Step 8: Stand the cakes in the tray for a few minutes until they start to cool, then take them out and place on a board or wire rack to cool them completely.

cooked medium cupcakes

cooked mini cupcakes

Chocolate frosting

This is a really simple chocolate butter frosting. It holds its shape nicely when piped (due to the icing mixture).

Ingredients:

125g unsalted butter (softened)
2 tablespoon of buttermilk (you can substitute with regular milk)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
1 &1/2 cups icing mixture
1/4 cup of cocoa

Method:

Step 1: Sift icing mixture and cocoa (sometimes I skip this step!)


Step 2: Add the butter, buttermilk (and vanilla bean paste) and combine with an electric mixer until light and fluffy

completed frosting

Step 3: Smooth (using a spoon or spatula) or pipe onto cupcakes


frosted medium sized cupcakes
frosted mini cupcakes