Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting
- Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (125 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 43 g
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 g
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, 120 ml
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 80 ml
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coffee, hot, brewed, or hot water (120 ml)
- Fudge frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar, 240 g
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 43 g
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3–4 tbsp milk
Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl through a strainer, then whisk in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly whisk in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin; that is what makes these moist.
- Pour or scoop the batter into the liners, filling them about two-thirds full.
- Bake until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then move the cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa and beat on low until combined.
- Add the salt, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of milk and beat on medium until fluffy, adding another spoonful of milk if it is too stiff to pipe.
- Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a swirl on each cupcake, or spread it on with an offset spatula.