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.
Hi,Your cupcakes are beautiful!! Can you please share what piping tip you use for your swirled cupcakes? Thanks in advance:)
I love ur blog. I add it as a favorite. Today i did this recipe and it went out great. Thanks for making it so easy. I love baking and im learning throught out ur page.
Best wishes and keep the awesome job.
Carolyn Cabrera, Dom. Rep.
Hi, Glory,
I wanted to use this recipe for an 8" cake. What would you change the ingredient portions to?
I have been in the cupcake business for 2 years now. I started with scratch cake, and because of so many failures, I went to box. I am getting the courage to go back to scratch. I am going to try this recipe. I hope it works. I really want to bake from scratch
Hi!
I think you are so talented and I just wanted to say I love your blog. I used your recipe as inspiration for my own cupcake and I just wanted to say thanks very much! I hope you don't mind I gave a shout out to you in the post. http://www.gigidiaries.com/2011/07/test_24.html
Thank you for the inspiration!
Katrina
Hi, just want to know if the milk listed is evaporated milk?
Thanks,
Lorie
GT, thank u, I tried with just 1 cup of sugar and it turned out very nice. Have u tried baking the same recipe as one big cake? My prob with cupcakes with frosting is in keeping it as they can go on top of each other, whereas cake is easily stored
LOL… Thank you for all the recipes posted, will certainly try them out, now even more excited to try them a.s.a.p! Why?… This Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes recipe is actually a recipe I have. LOL… A few months ago I was also looking for that perfect chocolate cake recipe and it so happened that my niece got a recipe from a friend of hers… she gave me "THIS" one. I tried it out and was amazed by it! I absolutely love it, as does anyone that we feed it to. Knowing where it originates from is super and I'm ready for more! Thanks so much!
@Karen- The sugar in baking adds not just to the sweetness, but also affects the texture and the browning. You'll have to do a bit of experimenting with sugar substitutes to see what may work.
Hi… Was wondering if I could convert this recipe to a diabetic friendly cake/cupcakes. Would you by any chance know how? I absolutely LOVE this recipe… have made it many times now… but been requested for a diabetic version now… 🙂 Thanks!