Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
This Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe is absolutely scrumptious and a family favorite. Rich and simple, they bake up in no time!
Moist, delicious Blender Cupcakes with Fudgy Frosting utilize an unusual mixing technique with fabulous results!
Why You Must Make
- The batter is made in the blender! This makes for quick cleanup and a pouring spout to easily distribute the batter into the cupcake tin.
- Just look at that fudgy frosting! That should be enough to persuade you to make these!
- Cupcakes come with built-in portion control. When I make cakes, I tend to go back for just one more sliver, and then another!!! One cupcake and I’m done!
Nothing thrills my family more than seeing empty cupcake tins sitting on the counter…the anticipation of fluffy frosting piled high on tender cakes, especially chocolate ones, brings smiles to my grown children’s faces (Nick has reminded me that he’s NOT a child anymore…thus my careful wording). Cupcakes trump brownies and even chocolate chip cookies. Why? Probably because I only make them a few times a year. The gang would be ecstatic with a fresh batch of cupcakes every single week.
How to Make
When I first spotted these frosted chocolate cupcakes, I was intrigued by the recipe for Abby Dodge’s Emergency Blender Cupcakes. They could not be simpler and the taste garnered rave reviews across the board.
With cupcakes, there are a couple of golden rules to help make the final results the best they can be. I’ll note the ones that are specific to this recipe, too!
- The dry ingredients are blended to mix, then the liquids (egg, oil, vanilla, and hot water) are added and mixed.
- For this recipe, one huge perk is that you can pour the batter using the blender’s spout! Super easy. But make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender a couple of times during the blending process. This will ensure there are no pockets of dry ingredients in the batter.
- Always cool your cupcakes completely before frosting. Warm cupcakes will melt the frosting.
- Also, note that the frosting needs to rest at room temperature or even chilled to get it to piping consistency. Feel free to use a knife and spread the cooled chocolate frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes instead of piping!
- PRO-Tip: To clean your blender, fill it ⅓ full of hot water and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Turn your blender on and let the blender do the washing for you!
10 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes
- Use quality ingredients. Use brand-name butter, pure vanilla extract (never imitation), good cocoa powder, and large eggs. Store-brand butter, for example, generally has a slightly higher percentage of water. European butter is excellent, but a good brand like Land ‘o Lakes works well.
- Baking is a science, so measure carefully. Scoop out a cup of flour, then use a knife or offset spatula to swipe the excess off the top. Use a liquid measuring cup to measure liquids. It’s much more accurate. PRO-Tip: Look at the cup at eye level to make sure the meniscus of the liquid (the rounded top) has reached the correct mark.
- Have your eggs at room temperature along with the butter unless it needs to be cold or melted. PRO-Tip: To speed up getting the chill off, you can place your eggs in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for about 5 minutes.
- PRO-Tip: Do not overmix, as this will activate the gluten and incorporate too much air into the batter. In this blender recipe, note that the directions state to mix until “well blended,” not any longer!
- PRO-Tip: Fill your tins about ⅔ full. This allows for consistent sizes, which lets them bake evenly. You can also use an ice cream scoop to dish out equal amounts of batter.
- Preheat your oven and use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running too hot or cold.
- PRO-Tip: Bake one tin at a time on the middle rack. This ensures air can circulate all around the tin and that the top or bottom is not too close to an element.
- To check if your cupcakes are done, there are two methods. One is with a toothpick. Insert in the center of a few of the cupcakes. When you pull the toothpick out, there should not be any batter on it. A few moist crumbs are OK, though. Alternatively, use the tip of your finger to tap the middle of the cupcake. It should bounce right back if the cupcakes are done. An indentation will remain if you need to bake them longer.
- Let your tin cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tin and let them cool completely before frosting or storing. This prevents any residual heat from overbaking and drying out the cupcakes.
- Frost when cool, covering the whole top to seal in the cupcake’s moisture. Store in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
The blender is a perfect tool when you don’t own a mixer. But make sure not to over-blend as that will stimulate the gluten in the flour and make for a less tender cake. Also, you must monitor the area around the blades where dry ingredients may accumulate.
Besides adding moisture and sweetness to the frosting, the corn syrup gives it a glossy appearance.
You May Also Like:
- Creamy Chocolate Pudding from Saving Room for Dessert
- Easy Homemade Brownies
- Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Chocolate Crinkles
- Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache
- Plus, more of my best Homemade Chocolate Recipes.
Blender Cupcakes with Fudgy Frosting
Delicious chocolate cupcakes whipped up in a blender.
Ingredients
For cupcakes:
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup hot water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-capacity muffin tin/cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a blender. Cover with the lid and blend on medium till blended.
- Pour in the water, oil, egg, and vanilla. Cover with the lid and blend on medium-high speed till smooth and well blended, pausing to scrape down the sides once or twice.
- Pour into lined muffin cups, dividing evenly.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a couple of the cupcakes comes out clean, 17–19 minutes.
- Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, and then remove cupcakes from pan to rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Gently melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring occasionally till smooth. Add condensed milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
- Set aside at room temperature, whisking frequently. Let cool and thicken before frosting cupcakes.
Notes
Adapted from Fine Cooking.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 0gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g
63 Comments on “Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe”
The cupcakes look beautiful – perfectly domed! The frosting is not stiff enough – it’s running slowly down the sides of the cupcake.
I’d try chilling it or adding more powdered sugar. I hope you still enjoy them!
Hi, Suzanne, this is a tried and true recipe from cookbook author Abby Dodge, so it should have worked. I went back and double checked her recipe and it’s all accurate. Did you happen to use the whole can of sweetened condensed milk? It only calls for 1 cup which is less than a can. Also, the frosting mixture needs to cool and thicken before using. I hope that helps!! I’ve tested it twice with good results.