I love chocolate…
So naturally, when I started experimenting with baking cupcakes from scratch (several years ago) I began a quest for the perfect chocolate cupcakes. I worked through several dozen recipes and of course, didn’t have too much trouble finding people willing to eat my “experiments.”
I finally found a recipe titled Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake, hmm, “…Perfectly Chocolate”, sounds about right to me! The first time I made it, I used Hershey’s unsweeted cocoa (as the recipe calls for). They turned out pretty good. The next time I made them, I used Ghirardelli brand unsweetened cocoa, and… perfect! The Ghirardelli brand gave a much deeper chocolate flavor. So I’d highly recomend using either Ghirardelli brand unsweetened cocoa, or the best quality brand you can find. You can really taste the difference. Since discovering this recipe, I’ve made it dozens and dozens of times. And every time, it’s delicious! The cake has a nice light and fluffy texture and a rich chocolate flavor.
Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 24-27 standard sized cupcakes)
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available)
1 cup boiling water
Directions-
Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
Bake cupcakes for aproximately 18-22 minutes.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Recipe source- Hershey’s
Try the recipe HERE for either vanilla or chocolate (my favorite!) cream cheese frosting.
Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa best quality available
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract best quality available
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
- Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
- Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
- Bake cupcakes for approximately 18-22 minutes.
- Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
How about doing a proper recipe in gramms? So the rest of the World (except America) can bake these cupcakes. Couldn't do these ones because I have no idea how much flour etc. I need. 🙁
I made these cupcakes today. Didn't have regular milk so I used buttermilk and I didn't have enough unsweetened regular coco powder so I substituted the same amount of dark chocolate powder. The taste and textures was amazing! They were indeed flat on the top and the batter was indeed very runny but they tasted great. My only complaint is that too much of the cupcake stuck to the cupcake wrapper. Has anyone found a solution to this problem yet?
Found this post hours ago on pinterest and made them asap. Made a few adjustments based on what I had and just enjoyed the most wonderful chocolate cake I've had. Moist, fluffy, rich…and decadent! Could only be done better with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
Used Hershey's Dark Chocolate powder, buttermilk, and coffee as substitutes. Filled each cupcake with 1/4 cup batter, made exactly 24 cupcakes. Came out with perfect mounds (not flat at all). I baked it for 20 minutes in my oven.
Mahalo for my new go-to chocolate cake recipe.
Hi Glory,
I just made your vanilla cake recipe last night and it was wonderful! I'm planning on trying this next, but I need to make a 12" double layer round cake. Do you by any chance know if doubling would be enough and if I would need to adjust the temp?
Any help is greatly appreciated! Love your blog!!
Michelle
Made these last night and they are FABULOUS! Not only in taste but absolutely love the domed tops which cool to a slightly harder texture (yum). Ample batter to make 12 standard & 48 mini cupcakes. A tip for Australians – remember that US cup & tablespoon measurements are different from the Australian sizes eg Aussie 1 cup is 250ml whereas US 1 cup is 237ml (usually rounded to 240ml); Aussie 1 tablespoon is 20ml (4tsp) whereas US 1 tablespoon is 15ml (3tsp). Target has a cup/spoon set with US sizes on it for only $4, worth getting!
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Honestly, the BEST chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Made it for my birthday, and I'll never go back. Added fresh strawberries, cut in half, to the top with a dash of powdered sugar and served it with vanilla ice cream. HEAVEN. (The batter will be the consistency of water when you pour it in the pan – don't fret. It will bake up correctly.)
So i made these and they would not come off of the paper liner which was super dissapointing cause i only got like half the cupcake- Any tips for this?
I just made a gluten-free version of your cupcakes and….I'm in heaven! I made the regular recipe for a shower last weekend and my husband said they were the best chocolate cupcakes he's ever had. So, I'm going to fool him tonight and see if he could taste the difference in the gluten-free recipe. I use the "land-o-Lakes" gluten-free flour blend and it is the best flour blend I have found! Maybe you could spotlight a gluten-free recipe soon!
I JUST baked these, and they are some of the best cupcakes I have ever had!!!