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Chocolate Cupcakes · Cocoa with Fudge Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting

Moist, dark cocoa cupcakes mixed by hand in one bowl, topped with a swirl of rich chocolate fudge frosting. Hot coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
19 min
Total
1 hr 55 min
Serves
12 · 12 cupcakes
Level
Easy

Ingredients

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

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl through a strainer, then whisk in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. Add the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
  4. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin; that is what makes these moist.
  5. Pour or scoop the batter into the liners, filling them about two-thirds full.
  6. Bake until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then move the cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.
  8. For the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa and beat on low until combined.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

Tip: Do not overfill the liners. Two-thirds full gives a nicely domed top that does not spill over.

Tip: Frost only fully cooled cupcakes or the frosting will slide off.

Storage: Covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerated up to 4 days. Serve at room temperature.

Make ahead: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months. Thaw, then frost.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 330 calories · protein 4 g · carbohydrates 50 g · fiber 3 g · sugars 37 g · fat 15 g (saturated 7 g) · sodium 210 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 17 of 17 ingredients.