Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These tender chocolate cupcakes have a deep chocolate flavor and the perfect cupcake texture — light, springy, and happy to let go of the wrapper. They pair beautifully with our not-to-sweet yet still perfectly pipe-able cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 12
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- ¾ cup plus two tablespoons (105 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus two tablespoons (32 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup safflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup boiling water
For the frosting
- 2 cups (227 grams) powdered sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 grams) salted butter, at cool room temperature
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder optional (see note)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cool water, optional
Instructions
- For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tins with 12 paper liners.
- Into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, place the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until well-combined.
- Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until batter is smooth.
- Pour in boiling water and carefully mix on low until just incorporated.
- Divide batter among muffin cups.
- Bake cupcakes for about 18 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- For the frosting
- Sift the powdered sugar into a very large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle.
- Add the butter and mix, on low at first and increasing speed as you go, until smooth and creamy. This will take several minutes at least. (It will stay crumbly for quite a while before smoothing out.)
- Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. If not using gelatin, the frosting is ready.
- If using the gelatin, sprinkle it over the water in a 1-cup glass measuring cup or similar-size microwave-safe bowl. Stir once and then leave it alone for about a minute.
- Place in microwave and heat until boiling, which happens very quickly. In my strong microwave, it takes only about ten seconds.
- Stir well and cool slightly.
- With the mixer running, slowly stream gelatin into frosting and beat until fully incorporated. I like to use a rubber spatula for a final mix after beating just to be sure everything is well-combined.
- Chill for at least two hours before using.
Notes
- Dutch-process cocoa powder is processed with alkali. The higher pH makes it react differently in batter than regular cocoa powder, so don't swap one for the other. It shouldn't be too hard to find, but if you can't get it locally, you can order it on Amazon.
- Safflower oil is my neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
- The water doesn't need to be at an actual boil, but do ensure it's very hot.
- Take the butter out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to make the frosting.
- Once cooled, the cupcakes themselves do well in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days or in the fridge for up to a week. Or you can wrap them well in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze them for later use, up to about three months.
- You can make the frosting up to a week in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge (or right in the piping bag if you plan to pipe). I don't recommend freezing the frosting.
- I like to store any leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 392mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g