Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

Chocolate buttercream cupcakes for the amateur baker

You’re probably wondering what is with the recipe title? I found these pictures in an old hard drive and memories came flooding back! This recipe is the result of one of my earlier attempts at baking. I called these my chocolate buttercream cupcakes back then. In retrospect, naming them “Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting” would’ve made more sense! 🙂 I made them many moons ago (in 2013, I think!). That explains the very amateurish presentation.

But if you can look past the presentation, what you will see is a wonderfully simple recipe to make a super spongy, soft and delicious cupcake! I will be re-doing the recipe and updating this post with better images. But you can still look at the beautiful texture of these cupcakes, can’t you?   

Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes – Printable Recipe

Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

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• Author: Kavitha
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 6-8 cupcakes 1x

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Description

Easy eggless chocolate buttercream cupcakes recipe

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1–2 Tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder (adjust depending on how intense of a flavor you want)
• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar (adjust to taste)
• a pinch of Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup refined Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 cup plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1/4 cup Milk or Water (or a little more to loosen up the batter)

For the Chocolate Buttercream

• 1/3 cup Butter at room temperature (preferably unsalted)
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Chocolate chips / slabs (to melt)

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Instructions

For the cupcakes

1. Line cupcake mold with liners. Preheat oven to 160 C (Reduce temp to 140 or 150 C if using convection oven)
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, powdered sugar.
3. Add oil, vanilla extract yogurt, vanilla extract and water / milk.
4. Mix to form a smooth batter. If the batter is too thick, loosen up with some more milk or water.
5. Fill each cupcake mold upto half or three-fourth of the way with the batter.
6. Bake at 160 C for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes are fully cooked through. Prick the cupcakes with a toothpick. If it comes out without leaving any wet batter, it is done
7. Remove and let it cool completely. You can remove the cupcake liners if you want.

To make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1. Melt the chocolate in microwave or using the double boiler method until it is fully melted. Mix it well and let it cool completely. Keep stirring consistently to avoid forming a skin or harden the chocolate.
2. Add butter at room temperature, vanilla extract and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Cream together for 2-3 minutes to form a smooth and creamy mixture (You can do it with a spatula , spoon or electric whisk.)
3. Add the cooled and melted chocolate to the buttercream and mix well. If it is warm and your buttercream is starting to melt a little, stick the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to thicken it up.

Frosting the cupcakes

1. Fill a ziplock bag or a pastry bag with the frosting and frost as much or as little as you want on each cupcake
2. You can also decorate with sprinkles, chocolate chips, chocolate shards etc.

Serve

1. Let the cupcakes chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at least before serving.
2. Store in an air tight box in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes – Step by step pictorial

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, powdered sugar. Add oil, vanilla extract yogurt and water. Mix to form a smooth batter.

Fill cupcake molds upto half full with the batter. Bake at 160 C for 20-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely. You can remove the cupcake liners if you want.

To make chocolate buttercream, add powdered sugar, butter at room temperature and vanilla extract to a bowl. Cream them together for 2 minutes to form a creamy mixture. Add cooled, melted chocolate to the buttercream and mix well.

Fill a piping bag with the frosting and frost each cupcake as much or as little as you want. Sprinkle with chocolate shards/ sprinkles/ chocolate slab. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Enjoy. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

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