Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

Delicious By Design

For deeper chocolate flavor, we use cocoa powder and melted chocolate. This distributes real chocolate throughout the batter for a richer, more luxurious taste in every bite.

We chose butter over oil for moisture and flavor. Butter adds richness and simplifies melting the chocolate, resulting in a smooth, flavorful base.

Buttermilk adds a tang for complexity and keeps these cupcakes moist and tender.

Ingredients Spotlight

Chocolate: We use chocolate with less than 60% cocoa because it melts smoother and faster than higher cocoa varieties. Here’s a tip: Most semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips fall into this range.

Buttermilk: Buttermilk moistens the cupcakes and produces a soft and tender crumb. You can use whole or low-fat buttermilk in this recipe.

No buttermilk on hand? No problem! Here’s a quick substitute:

1. In a measuring cup, combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk to measure 1 cup.
2. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, allowing it to curdle slightly. This curdling mimics the acidity of buttermilk and will work perfectly in your recipe.

• Go easy on the heat! Overheating chocolate can make it grainy. Melt the butter gently so it’s not too hot or bubbling when you add it to the chocolate.
• Be careful not to overmix the batter. To ensure proper mixing, beat the cake batter on low until the ingredients are combined and finish with a wooden spoon. Overmixing will result in a dense, heavy cupcake.
• Always use room-temperature ingredients. Chilled eggs or buttermilk will not combine easily with room-temperature dry ingredients.
• Avoid opening the oven door. Opening the door allows heat to escape, causing uneven baking.
  Bake cupcakes in the middle of the oven for the baking to be the most even.
• When making the whipped cream, be careful not to overwhip it. Otherwise, the cream can quickly turn to butter.

Storage:

• Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Frosted cupcakes will stay fresher for a shorter time than unfrosted cupcakes.

Freezing:

• For longer storage, you can freeze your unfrosted cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours.
• Once frozen solid, transfer the cupcakes to an airtight container or freezer bag. Properly frozen cupcakes will keep for up to 3 months.

Thawing:

• Remove frozen cupcakes from the freezer and place them on a counter at room temperature to thaw frozen cupcakes. They should thaw within a few hours.