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.
Those chocolate cupcakes look fantastic and very delicious. I featured them on my dessert/fashion blog:
http://tissosweetcandy.blogspot.com/2011/02/be-my-valentine.html
I will definitely be trying this recipe very soon!
Chelsea
I'm making these for the second time because they were a hit the first time. Thank you for sharing such a yummy recipe!
Bakers Treats- If you substitute for sweet cocoa you would need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe, but I'm not sure by how much. You may also want to look for another brand of unsweetend cocoa.
I could not find any of the ghiradelli unsweeten cocoa. If I use the sweet cocoa is that okay?
@Pearse- The butterflies are made from fondant, and cut with a cutter made just for fondant. I don't remember where I bought the cutter (I've had it a while). Try a google search for "fondant butterfly cutter"
@Francesca- My cupcakes with this recipe usually have at least a small dome shape. You may need to get fresh baking soda and baking powder. I'm not sure what else the problem may be.
I use Hershey's recipe too! But…I was thinking of starting the quest for a chocolate cake all over again, because even though it tastes great, my cupcakes always turns out super flat making it difficult to remove from the cupcake tin. suggestions?
wow. looks gorgeous. do you have any instructions or tips on how you made those butterflies.
Thanks.would appreciate if you could reply to
Pearse@netamumail.com
Pearse
I have made these several times!! We love them. Do you have a vanilla cupcake recipe are you willing to share?? Please!!
Great informative recipe on these chocolate cupcakes.The piping looks perfect.