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.
I tried this recipe twice, and I too had sink holes in the middle. I'm wondering if it's because I'm at high altitude??
@Amanda- I have great vanilla cake recipe here, http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2011/07/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe.html
It would be tricky to start with a chocolate recipe and make a direct change to vanilla.
Hi Glory!! I love your blog <3 I have a quick question. Have you ever turned a chocolate cake recipe INTO a vanilla cake recipe?!? I have an amazing chocolate cake recipe and I need to change it to vanilla but I wasn't quite sure what to do to change it so it doesn't come out funky...I checked online but I couldn't really find anything and since you bake ALOT more then I do I figured you might know something....any help would be great!!! Thanks 🙂
@about eggs- Yes, sorry, I've been meaning to update this! I've experimented with 2 or 3 eggs, both taste pretty much identical, but the ones with an extra egg hold together just a bit better. I usually use 3, but again, the difference is very slight.
I noticed that your chocolate peanut butter cupcake and your chocolate cupcake recipes contain the same ingredients and measurements except for the eggs. one recipe calls for three eggs and the other has two eggs. is there a reason for this?
Hi. Just wanted to know. I have baking powder but not baking soda can I just use 3 tsp of baking powder instead will that b okay? Plz let me know as soon as possible need to make them today thanks
This is the only chocolate cake recipe I use. Beautiful with jam and cream in it. I make cakes and cupcakes but my icing never looks as good as yours. Need to practise (and taste test too;)
I made these cupcakes with your chocolate cream cheese frosting for my brother's birthday dinner. They were a huge hit!! Light and fluffy in texture yet oh so rich and chocolatey in taste. This was my first time ever making a recipe from scratch. Thanks for all you post!!
Couldn't sleep so I made this recipe into a cake at about midnight, let it bake for another 10-15 minutes (not sure exactly how much longer, kept an eye on it). I'm waiting for this baby to cool and I've taken a little nibble off and I vow to NEVER make a chocolate box cake again. I used what I had, hershey's cocoa powder and I'm pretty stoked to frost it!
Glory, are you using brown or black liners for your chocolate cupcakes? thanks!