Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Does it get any better than a rich, soft chocolate cupcake? I don't think it does! When you finally find a good chocolate cake recipe, you'll never be able to have a different one ever again. It took me forever to work this one out, but when I finally did, I knew I had something special. There is a key ingredient* to enhancing the delicious richness of a chocolate batter. Can you guess what it is?

I have made this recipe for a variety of bakes and events. This batter makes a beautiful cake, no matter what you use it for. I've used this recipe for cupcakes, a variety of cakes, and even just for cake pops! And it pairs with vanilla buttercream just as well as a decadent fudge frosting. I will be sharing frosting recipes soon! I'll link them at the bottom. We're here to talk about chocolate cake! Here's the recipe:

What you'll need:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

• 1 cup of granulated sugar

• 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• Dash of cayenne powder*

• 1/2 cup of milk

• 1/2 vegetable oil or melted butter (slightly cooled)

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 1/2 cup of hot water

What you'll do:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You can sift your flour and cocoa if you'd like. I throw it all in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk for a minute or so.

3. Add in all the wet ingredients EXCEPT the hot water: milk, oil/butter, egg, and vanilla. It is a personal preference on the oil versus butter. It depends on what I have on hand, but both work fine!

4. Add a dash of cayenne powder- this is the secret ingredient, and it only takes a sprinkle!

5. Now, slowly add your hot water into the mix. I keep the mixer going and slowly pour the water in.

6. I like to scrape the bowl and give it one more good mix.

7. Pour the batter into the desired, greased pans, and bake about 18-20 minutes.

You can use 2 9-inch rounds, 3 8-inch rounds, or about a 9x13 sheetpan. This recipe will make about 24 cupcakes if the batter is divided evenly.

I usually end up making two dozen of these and two dozen vanilla cupcakes. (That recipe is coming soon!) You can also make both of these batters to make marble cupcakes, which are also delicious! And marble cakes are just so pretty. When making the chocolate cupcakes, remember a little cayenne goes a long way, and bake the batter the day you make it! Trust me, I have made the mistake of refrigerating the batter for a night, and it was not a good idea. For those of you who can figure out why, you know. For those of you who don't know, it's coming up in a future story, so stay tuned!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Enjoy the recipe and let me know how yours turn out! Leave a comment by email or on the socials, which are linked below. As always, subscribe for exclusives, follow Facebook and Instagram for behind-the-scenes, and check back soon for more recipes! Happy baking, y'all!