Chocolate Cupcakes
Moist chocolate cupcakes made with 70% cocoa dark chocolate, perfect for pairing with a variety of buttercream frostings.
Ingredients
Premium dark chocolate (70% cocoa content)
115 g
Unsalted butter (room temperature)
85 g
Soft light brown sugar
175 g
Eggs (free-range or organic, yolks and whites separated)
2, large
Plain flour (sifted)
185 g
Baking powder
3/4 tsp
Baking soda
3/4 tsp
Salt
a pinch
Semi-skimmed milk (room temperature)
250 ml
Vanilla extract
1 tsp
Instructions
1
Prepare and preheat
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) / 190°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin or four 12-hole mini muffin tins with appropriately sized cupcake paper liners.
2
Melt the chocolate
Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt. The easiest way is to place the chocolate in a plastic bowl or measuring cup and microwave on medium for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds — but be very careful not to burn the chocolate. Alternatively, place the chocolate pieces in a bain-marie, stirring occasionally until completely melted and very smooth. Let cool slightly.
3
Cream the butter, sugar and yolks
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, which takes about 3-5 minutes with an electric hand mixer. In another bowl, beat the yolks with a clean mixer for several minutes. Slowly add the yolks to the beaten mixture and mix until well combined. Then add the melted chocolate and mix until evenly incorporated.
4
Combine dry and wet ingredients
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring cup and add the vanilla extract. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the chocolate batter and stir until just combined. Pour in one-third of the milk and stir. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk are added.
5
Whip the egg whites and fold them in
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not stir, otherwise the air will be knocked out.
6
Fill the cups and bake
Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds full. This is a rather thin batter, so be careful when spooning! Alternatively, it is more convenient to pour the batter directly from the measuring cup into the cups. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (large) or 15 minutes (mini). Insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake to test — it should come out completely clean.
7
Cool and decorate
Remove from the oven and let sit in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. Once completely cooled, decorate the cupcakes with chocolate, vanilla, or coffee buttercream frosting.
