You can easily make 10 delicious, chocolatey, and decadent cupcakes with this Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes recipe! Topped with a rich chocolate buttercream, these cupcakes are perfect for anytime you need a smaller batch.
Lately, I’ve been needing small quantities of things, particularly in the sweets/ desserts category. I haven’t needed a 3-layer cake, or an entire batch of cupcakes, or a huge 9×13″ tray of brownies. A small batch of something is all I need. And it was my little boy’s school birthday celebration that led me to create this recipe for small batch chocolate cupcakes, and oh my stars I love them. So convenient, so simple, and SO delicious.
All I needed was 10 cupcakes. Ten delicious, chocolatey, festive little cupcakes. And that’s what we have here!
The recipe for these small batch chocolate cupcakes is adapted from my 6″ 3-layer cake recipe. The cake is incredibly moist while also being light and tender; it’s super rich, decadent, and loaded with chocolate flavor. Because, side note, one of my biggest pet peeves is chocolate cake that doesn’t taste like chocolate. Like, why? What a waste. Get out of here with that. I digress. Also the chocolate buttercream on these cupcakes is to die for. It’s rich, silky smooth, and it’s the perfect amount of buttercream for piping onto 10 cupcakes.
Next time you’re in need of a small batch of something sweet (I’m thinking small occasions, birthday parties, school events, Tuesday nights, etc.), you definitely need to whip up a batch of these chocolate cupcakes. They’re so easy to make and just so darn good. My new small batch go-to recipe!
What you’ll need to make these cupcakes:
Flour: For structure. For best results, be sure to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, either by weight or the spoon and level method.
Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder gives these cupcakes their rich, chocolatey flavor. I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe, but you can use Dutch process if you prefer!
Sugar: Granulated sugar not only gives sweet flavor, but also makes these cupcakes extra tender and soft.
Baking powder + baking soda: For leavening power.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Espresso powder: Using espresso powder won’t make these cupcakes taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens and elevates the chocolate flavor, making for a richer, tastier cupcake! You can also use instant espresso or instant coffee granules.
Buttermilk: The acidity of buttermilk makes these cupcakes extra tender and moist, while the high fat content adds moisture and richness. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, see my notes below for a good substitute.
Sour cream: Similar to buttermilk, sour cream makes these cupcakes moist and tender while still keeping them light and airy!
Vegetable oil: Using oil in these cupcakes makes them super moist. And because vegetable oil stays liquid at room temperature, these cupcakes stay nice and moist long after they’ve cooled to room temperature!
Egg: For structure and binding.
Vanilla: For flavor.
Hot coffee: Like the espresso powder, using hot coffee enhances and deepens the flavor of the cocoa powder, making for an even more chocolatey taste. Also, adding hot liquid to the batter allows the cocoa powder to ‘bloom,” thereby releasing a more pronounced chocolate flavor. Don’t worry about these cupcakes tasting like coffee- I promise you they don’t.
Butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, kosher salt, and heavy cream for the chocolate buttercream frosting.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
Why do my ingredients need to be room temperature? Baking is a science, so there is a reason for this! When the ingredients are at room temperature, this allows the batter to come together seamlessly into a smooth, homogenous mixture. This ultimately results in a lighter, more tender cake. Cold ingredients will make your batter lumpy and irregular, resulting in a dense, potentially tough cake.
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes! Unfrosted cupcakes can be made a day in advance and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
A few notes before you bake:
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a buttermilk substitute at home! Combine ½ cup whole milk with 1 ½ teaspoons white distilled vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and leave to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The milk will look curdled, but that’s a good thing. Stir again, then use as directed in the recipe.
To make filling the tins with cake batter easier, I like to use a spring-loaded cookie scoop.
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Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
You can easily make 10 delicious, chocolatey, and decadent cupcakes with this Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes recipe! Topped with a rich chocolate buttercream, these cupcakes are perfect for anytime you need a smaller batch.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 93 gm (3/4 cup, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 25 gm (1/4 cup, spoon and leveled) natural unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 132 gm (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee granules
- 45 gm (3 tablespoons) whole buttermilk, at room temperature
- 60 gm (1/4 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
- 28 gm (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 45 gm (3 tablespoons) hot coffee
For the chocolate buttercream:
- 168 gm (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 300 gm (2 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 33 gm (1/3 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 45 gm (3 tablespoons) heavy cream, at room temperature, plus more as needed
- Optional garnish: sprinkles
Instructions
To make the chocolate cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 10 standard muffin tins with paper liners and lightly spritz each liner with non-stick spray (NOTE: using the non-stick spray is optional, but I find it helps the liners come off the cupcakes more cleanly!)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder; set aside for now.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the ingredients together until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Next, carefully add the hot coffee to the batter and continue to stir using the rubber spatula until a thin, smooth batter forms.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tins, filling each tin about 2/3 of the way full (NOTE: I like to use a spring loaded cookie scoop for this!). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, kosher salt, and heavy cream to the bowl. (NOTE: before the next step, I like to place a clean kitchen towel over the mixer to prevent ingredients from flying everywhere).
- Turn the mixer on low speed and gradually increase to medium, mixing until the ingredients come together. Once the ingredients have come together, increase the mixer to high-speed and beat for 1 minute, until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. At this point, check the consistency of your buttercream: add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to thin out the buttercream to a piping consistency.
- Reduce the mixer to low speed and beat the buttercream for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Use immediately.
Assembly:
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip (NOTE: I used an Ateco 828 large open star tip). Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, spread the buttercream on top of each cooled cupcake using an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
*Cocoa powder: You can use Dutch process cocoa powder instead of natural unsweetened if you prefer!
Make ahead: Unfrosted cupcakes can be made one day in advance and should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Make buttercream and frost cupcakes the day of serving.
Serving/ storage: Cupcakes are best enjoyed the same day they are frosted. Frosted cupcakes may be left at room temperature for several hours, but otherwise should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep the buttercream from wilting.
