Who doesn’t love a fluffy chocolate cupcake?
Seriously, lead me to them, I want to force-feed them these cupcakes until they change their minds!
I absolutely love baking but I know a ton of people who don’t share my enthusiasm for it. Sometimes it’s because of the perceived work involved (it’s really not as hard as you think!) and sometimes it’s because of the equipment required. If you think baking equipment is expensive then think again! There are such great options out there like the Wonderchef 9 Litre OTG that give you the same quality just at an incredibly affordable price. Baking can seem like this exclusive club that you can join only if you’re born with a talent for it but i’m here to burst that bubble! With easy-as-pie recipes from me and a cute ‘lil apron (because obviously you gotta look cute baking!) everyone can be a baker!
Most cake and cupcake recipes will require an electric mixer. That’s because you have to cream butter and sugar in most standard recipes. Not in this one! The chocolate cupcake batter is oil based which means that all you need is a fuss-free whisk to whip up a batch of these guys. Less effort does not mean less flavour though, as these little cupcakes are so chocolate-y and delicious that I guarantee you won’t be able to stop at just one!
In the interest of making things super simple, the recipe only has cocoa powder. There’s a lot of recipes that call for melted chocolate in the batter but I find that whenever I buy chocolate it mysteriously (Netflix and Eating) vanishes before I can use it in a recipe. Since cocoa powder is not as conducive to my late night cravings, I always have some on hand! The secret weapon in this chocolate cupcakes recipe is hot coffee. Don’t worry you don’t taste the coffee, it just intensifies and elevates the chocolate flavour.
If you’re looking to make an eggless version of this I would suggest substituting the egg with 1/4 cup of thick yogurt or buttermilk. Alternatively, you can add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to 1/4 cup of milk and let it stand for ten minutes. Once the milk curdles it’s ready for the recipe. I’ve made both versions and the cupcakes turn out great either way.
The batter is really thin, closer to pancake batter than a traditional cupcake batter. It might seem too runny but just go with it, I promise your cupcakes will turn out beautifully moist and fluffy. As with most recipes, the cooking time is just an estimate that varies based on your oven. Your cupcakes should have risen beautifully in about 18 minutes after which a simple toothpick test will let you know if they’re ready.
You can top these with a chocolate ganache, buttercream frosting or my personal favourite topping – nothing! These are absolutely delicious on their own, especially when they’re still slightly warm from the oven. However you decide to use them, they’ll definitely be a hit!
Basic Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- Little Less than ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Flour
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- Pinch Salt
- 1 Egg (beaten)
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 2 tbsp Oil
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup hot coffee 1 tbsp instant coffee powder in 1/4 cup hot water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 175°C.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
- Add sugar to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Add beaten egg, milk, oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat with a hand mixer for two minutes.
- Add hot coffee and beat until just combined.
- Divide the batter between 6 muffin cups, filling each until just over halfway full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tray for ten minutes and then transfer them onto a wire rack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Since this is quite a runny batter, I like to transfer it into a piping bag. Just snip the end off and you can avoid the scooping mess!
