These chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and taste delicious. They get their extra chocolate-y flavour from both cocoa powder and grated milk chocolate. Perfect topped with smooth chocolate buttercream.
As promised, here’s the recipe for my yummy chocolate cupcakes, all ready for the creation of my build-your-own cupcakes index which I’ve been busy working on and will be sharing with you soon. The idea is to have all of my cupcakes and buttercream recipes in one place so you can mix and match (with maybe a hidden centre in the middle too 🙂 ). The index is also going to have a round up of all of my fancier cupcake creations, such as raspberry trifle, white russian or millionaires’ shortbread as well.
These chocolate cupcakes are based on the same recipe as my chocolate birthday cake, which gets its extra chocolate-iness from using a combination of both cocoa powder and grated chocolate. I’ve used milk chocolate in the recipe (as I prefer it slightly sweeter) but I’ve been assured by readers that have tried the recipe that it works just as well with dark chocolate too.
These cupcakes are topped with my chocolate buttercream. For a change I used dark chocolate (OK, I went to the cupboard and discovered someone had eaten all my milk chocolate – I’m blaming Jon!). The dark chocolate worked really well, I’d definitely recommend it if you prefer a slightly richer flavour.
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
These chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and taste delicious. They get their extra chocolate-y flavour from both cocoa powder and grated milk chocolate. Perfect topped with smooth chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g soft margarine or softened butter
- 3 large eggs
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- 75 g milk chocolate choose something from the baking aisle in the supermarket as it will cope well with the heat in the oven without going grainy
- ½ tbsp milk
Extras
- 12 cupcake cases
Instructions
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Pre-heat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.
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Put your cupcake cases into a muffin tin.
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Grate the milk chocolate (75g).
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Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl (150g self-raising flour, 30g cocoa powder, 175g caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 175g soft margarine, ⅛ tsp vanilla extract, ½ tbsp milk and the grated chocolate) mix on a low speed until fully combined.
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Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cases (I use a cupcake scoop to help split it evenly).
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Put the tin into the oven and cook the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes put a skewer in the middle and check if it comes out clean. If it does they're done, if not pop them back in for a couple more minutes and check again.
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Once cooked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tins for a few minutes.
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Remove the cupcakes from their tin and pop them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Want chocolate cake but can't have dairy? Take a look at my dairy-free version of this recipe.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the page to let others know what you thought.
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are easily available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
I’m sharing this recipe with the following challenges… Love Cake with JibberJabberUK, We Should Cocoa with Tin & Thyme and Treat Petite with The Baking Explorer and CakeyBoi.
iv just made theses cup cakes and they look and taste great very easy to make.
hi Charlotte i made the cupcakes and frosted them
then i put them in a box and wrapped them up for no air to go in
but i was wondering how long would the frosted cupcakes be okay in the fridge and in the freezer
THANKS:)
They should be fine for about 4 days in the fridge. I’ve not tried freezing them with icing on. The cupcakes frozen unfrosted should be fine for about 3 months as long as they’re stored in an airtight container.
I’m looking to make about 30 of these for a party, so have multiplied the ingredients by 2.5, however, not sure what to do about 7.5 large eggs. Should I do 7 or 8? Or more medium eggs? I’m a bit of a novice baker so not sure how accurate egg qty needs to be! Thanks
The best thing to do if you need part of an egg is to weigh the egg as it’s added so use 7 large eggs and then beat a final egg in a separate bowl and add 30g of that to the mixture.
I’ve tried chocolate cupcakes before but been disappointed as they were a bit bland. I came across this recipe though and decided to try them again tempted by the promise of extra chocolatey flavour. I’m so glad I did as they were really yummy and actually tasted of chocolate. Great recipe and will be making them again in future.
Thanks Zoe, I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Hi. Charlotte I wanted to ask you if you know what Cadbury Bournaville cocoa is I have it but I’m not sure if it’s natural unsweetened cocoa powder or duchprocessed?
Hi Kat, unfortunately I’m not 100% sure as there’s no definite answer online (nothing answering the question on their website). When I look at the Cadbury UK website it suggests it does contain an acidity regulator which would suggest that it’s been dutch processed. However, my tub at home doesn’t have it listed in the ingredients suggesting it’s natural – all very confusing. It’s possible that the recipe has been changed since I bought my tub. The NZ Cadbury site says theirs is dutch processed, but recipes can vary from country to country so that doesn’t necessarily mean it is in the UK. Sorry I can’t help more. Other brands seems to be more clear (e.g. Green & Blacks is dutch processed).
Fortunately for this recipe is won’t make a difference as the cocoa is there for the flavour, the self-raising flour is there for helping the cake to rise.
I tried these ones today (mind you I never made cupcakes before) and they turned out incredible! I’m so happy. I will be making these again on Saturday for my sister’s birthday. Just out of curiosity, can this be turn to a cake, or do you have a similar cake recipe that doesn’t have baking soda or baking powder in it?
Super full of chocolate flavor! Loved them.
This chocolate cupcake recipe is adapted from my chocolate birthday cake (which also works brilliantly as a normal cake without all the decoration). You can find the recipe here https://charlotteslivelykitchen.com/chocolate-birthday-cake/.
These look so pretty Charlotte, but easy? If you’d seen me trying to mess around with a piping bag, I think you’d take that description off 😉
Thanks for joining in with We Should Cocoa. I’ve pinned and hope to get the round-up posted later today.
It’s one of the only two styles I can actually do. Anyway who really cares if they’ve got neat piping as long as they taste good 🙂
Those look delicious, shame I see them on the first day of Lent when I have just given up chocolate!
I know these wouldn’t last long in our house! I’m often disappointed by the lack of chocolate taste in cupcakes but these look like they would hit the spot!
They’re designed to be chocolatey so hopefully you’d like them, just make sure you don’t overcook them as I find that it kills the flavour a bit.
These look gorgeous Charlotte and I love the idea of a cupcake library!
I forgot to add – thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite
wow these look sooo yummy x