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.
Gloria, these cupcakes came out WONDERFULLY soft and so decadent! I made them for my mom’s 50th birthday with a dark chocolate buttercream frosting and all 60 of them were wiped out! Thanks for sharing, love your blog!!!
Maybe a silly question…can I use this recipe for a cake or is it specifically for cupcakes?
These are incredible – i made them exactly as you wrote the recipe and they were perfect. Thanks for the tip after the boiling water is added, i would’ve been totally perplexed at the consistency.
I am so disappointed and frustrated! I tried this recipe, followed it exactly, and they were an epic failure. I threw them all away. I didn’t want them to burn, so didn’t take them out until the tooth pick came out clean. They were over cooked on the bottom and stuck in the muffin pan. Also not fluffy at all, more like chewy. Why ?? I feel like it may have been the hot water. Yet how come the rest of you had such success?? Not exactly my first time baking!
Cheryl,
I’m sorry you didn’t have success. I’ve made this recipe dozens and dozens of times, it’s a favorite in our house. It’s hard to know for sure what to recommend… although the one note I picked up on is you said they stuck to the muffin pan, did you use cupcake liners? You will certainly have more success if you use paper (or foil) liners.
I can’t wait to try these- I loved the vanilla ones! But I have a few quick questions: 1. I am making these for a group of about 50 people, so would it be safer to make 2 separate batches or double the recipe? And 2. I have Natural Process Non-Dutched Cocoa. Would that work? Thanks for your fabulous recipes- they are always a hit!
For 50 cupcakes I would suggest two separate batches (unless you have two ovens). As you prepare the ingredients for the first batch, add the ingredients for the second batch into separate bowls, to make it easy to prepare the second batch.
I usually use natural cocoa as well, so that should work great.
When I made these the batter tasted phenomenal, but when they were in the oven they sunk. I have no idea why they did that. I followed the directions carefully. I was really disappointed because they tasted good, but sunk in the center. Also I put them in the oven for the time directed (about18-22 minutes) and they did not want to cook in the center.
Do you live at a high elevation? The only time I’ve heard of this being an issue was for those at high elevation. Other than that, I’m not sure what may have happened. I’m made this recipe over 100 times and never had that issue. Maybe check you baking powder or baking soda for freshness?
Thank you for sharing this recipe and all the others you have. I have only recently discovered your blog and so far, I have tried this recipe and the buttercream frosting recipe and both produced amazing results. 🙂
oh my gosh, this is the best tasting cupcake ever!! thank you so much for sharing ur recipe!! will be making it for my lil girl’s 3rd birthday party 🙂
Hi Glorius Treats! Theese look so yummy I can’t wait to try them:) I was wondering if the recipe can be cut in half though. Im having a party and want to offer both vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, so I don’t need 24 chocolate. I saw a few other people asked the same question, but I couldn’t find the asnwer. If I missed it, sorry!
Thanks for the help!
You weren’t kidding– these ARE perfect! They are moist and flavorful, and bake up just right to hold some of that American buttercream frosting (with a splash of bourbon, just for kicks). Thanks!