The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake

Click HERE to watch the YouTube video!

This might be the best chocolate cupcake recipe ever. They are SO chocolatey. So moist. I made them for a birthday party, and the kids would have gobbled down every last one had I not stepped in to guard the last couple for the (adult) birthday people!

I'll take that as a very high compliment.

I've been making this recipe for years, it's a tried and true family fave. Don't be weirded out by the boiling water- this is an old trick used in cakes and brownies to make them SUPER MOIST!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 lg. egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

HOW TO:

1.) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F

2.) Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment

*SIFT the cocoa if it is lumpy!

3.) Add the milk, oil, egg and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix on medium until well combined

4.) Add the boiling water while the mixer is on LOW SPEED, then beat on high for 1 full minute

5.) Place cupcake liners in your muffin tins. * It should be a 12 muffin tin

6.) Pour the batter into the cupcake tin evenly distributing the batter into 12

7.) Bake for around 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean

BUTTERCREAM ICING

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)

3 1/2 to 4 cups icing sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 -2 tbsp. milk or cream

HOW TO:

1.) Beat your butter until creamy, about 2-3 minutes

2.) Add approx. 3 1/2 cups of the icing sugar to the butter, beating well, around a minute

3.) Mix in the vanilla and around 1 1/2 tbsp. of milk

4.) Beat until very creamy 2-3 minutes

5.) Add more icing sugar/ milk to get the right consistency to pipe it

6.) Using a piping bag (or a ziplock in a pinch) pipe a hefty dollop of icing on top of each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles or whatever decorations you like!

NOTES:

*If you have buttercream icing left over you can freeze it for up to 3 months

*You can easily double this recipe

*Click HERE if you would rather have a PEANUT BUTTER icing for these cupcakes - a perfect match!