Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes are always very popular in our home. This recipe is easy and loads of fun to make with the kids. In fact it is so easy, the kids will be able to make them on their own.

I love to makes these cupcakes for bake sales, afternoon teas, birthday parties or simply as an anytime treat. This recipe makes the best chocolaty and moist cupcakes ever! They are possibly the best chocolate cupcakes that I have ever had!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe like we do.

Before you make them, here are a few tips.
Make sure the cocoa and boiling water mixture is lump free. If the mixture is too thick add a little more boiling water and mix well. The mixture should be thick but not runny.

Also make sure to mix the batter until there are no lumps. Using an electric mixer will speed up this process, but a normal hand whisk will also work. (along with your arm muscles 😉 )

This is a runny batter, but that is good. This recipe states that you will get +/- 12 cupcakes. But out of my experience you tend to get a bit more from the batter, so just have an extra few cases available for incase.
Just don’t skimp on filling the cupcakes cases. Make sure you fill them 3/4 full.

Happy baking! Let me know what you think.

Makes +/- 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
For the cupcakes

60 ml Water, boiling
40 ml Cocoa powder
175g Butter, soften
165g Caster sugar
3 Eggs
115g Self-raising white flour
5 ml Baking powder

For the buttercream

60g Butter, soften
30 ml Cocoa Powder
45 ml Milk, full cream
250 g Icing sugar, sifted
White chocolate shavings for decoration

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Grease a 12 hole muffin tray and line with cupcake paper cases and set aside.

Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl, now add the boiling water and mix to form a thick paste. (Add more boiling water, a little at a time, if the paste is to thick.) Also make sure to stir out any lumps in the mixture. Set aside to cool for a while.

In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Now add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after adding each egg. Reduce the speed and while mixing add the self-raising flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake paper cases filling each hole to 3/4 full. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until done. Check if the cupcakes are ready by inserting a tooth pick into the cupcakes, if it comes out dry, the cupcakes are baked.
Be careful not to overbake.

Once done remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire cooling rack.

For the Icing:

Melt the butter in a bowl, now sift in the cocoa powder and stir in the icing sugar. Make sure to add a little icing sugar at a time, alternating between the icing sugar and milk. Mix well after each addition. The icing should be a spreadable or of piping consistency.
Pipe as desired over the cooled cupcakes and decorate with white chocolate shavings.

(I decorated these chocolate cupcakes with little hearts… Perfect for your loved ones!)

Enjoy!