Have you ever seen the show Hart of Dixie? I know this post is supposed to be about Chocolate Cupcakes. It is, I promise, stay with me.
HoD is on Netflix. I’d say if you like Gilmore Girls, you’ll like Hart of Dixie. It’s a rom-com tv show about a big city doctor who moves to a small town and falls in love (among other things)…and it is SO GOOD I love it and have watched the full series twice four times š
Chocolate Cake is Romantic
Anywho, in the show, there is a scene where they say that two people sharing chocolate cake is one of the most romantic things to do together. Now, that is what I think about every time I see, make, or hear about chocolate cake, and it always makes me smile. So the next time you want to have a romantic dessert, make a chocolate cake and share a piece with your SO. OR, make and share a chocolate cupcake…
Speaking of Chocolate Cake…
These chocolate cupcakes are the BEST. And I don’t say that lightly. They’ve earned it. I am not typically a “cake-person.” It has to be juuust the right type of cake with a moist cake-part and flavorful not-too-sugary frosting-part. This chocolate chocolate cupcake recipe has the PERFECT balance. It has that moist, chocolaty crumb combined with a silky smooth chocolaty frosting.
For the Chocolate Lover
It is worth noting that this cake is in fact bursting with chocolate amazingness. It is the most wonderful dessert for you and your chocolate-loving friends, family, and co-workers. If you are a there’s-no-such-thing-as-too-much-chocolate type of person, THIS.IS.YOUR.CAKE!
It’s Easy!
Did I mention the cake batter comes together in 30 minutes or less?? All in one bowl and no electric mixer needed! You whisk all the ingredients together, scoop into muffin cups, and bake!! The frosting whips up quickly too with a handheld mixer. And yet the end result is truly the BEST chocolate cake and frosting ever!!! It’ll taste like you’ve spent the whole day making it!
It’s Dairy-Free!!
TMI coming up– I have been lactose-intolerant my whole life. I’ve taken the lactaid pills. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. But then, about 5 years ago, I started having so many other digestive issues that I could basically rely on dairy to make me feel in pain all of the time.
So, I’ve been cutting it out all together. At first I thought it would be damn-near-impossible. THEN, I discovered lots of dairy-free chocolate options…and I knew all would be ok š
These cupcakes have oil in the cake batter (instead of, say, butter). I use regular canola or vegetable oil, but you could totally use melted coconut oil if you prefer. The frosting is made with dairy-free butter. If you have tried other dairy-free options in frosting, I’d love to hear about it! In my experience, the vegan butter whips up the best, and with the cocoa powder in the chocolate frosting, you’d never know it was dairy-free butter in place of dairy-butter.
That said, if you are not dairy-free, and you are more likely to have butter on-hand, feel free to make the frosting with dairy-butter! The choice is yours.
LET’S BAKE!
When you try this recipe, let me know! Tag @fetchinggoodies on Instagram and leave a comment here & ! Iād love to see & share your baking!
This recipes makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.
Ingredients:
The Cake Part
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten (or two flax-eggs, if you’re making the cupcakes vegan)
1 cup almond milk (or your fav non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
The Frosting Part
2 sticks vegan butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans (12 cupcakes each) with cupcake liners. Set the pans aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (the sugar through the salt on The Cake Part ingredients list).
- Then, to the dry ingredients, add the eggs, almond milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir gently the wet ingredients into the dry until there are no more streaks of flour.
- The last step for the batter, the no-longer-a-secret, secret, is to add in 1 cup of boiling water. Boil slightly more than 1 cup of water either in a pot on the stove, or in a Pyrex glass measuring cup in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour the boiling water into the other ingredients, while doing your best to continually whisk the batter while the water is being added. Stir just until fully mixed. The batter will be very thin.
- Now, to get the batter into the cupcake-lined pans. You can either scoop the batter with a large cookie scoop, or, since the batter is so thin, pour the batter into a liquid measuring cup and pour it into the cupcake pans. Either way, you’ll have some drips that get on your counter/the outside of the pan. That’s alright š It wipes right off.
- Bake the cupcakes in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. They’re done when the tops no longer look wet, and when they spring back when you lightly press the top of one with your finger.
- Take the cupcakes out of the oven and cool them in the pan on a hot pad for 2-3 minutes. Then take each cupcake out of the pan and cool them completely on a plate or on wire cooling racks. I use these.
- While the cupcakes cool, we can make the frosting!
- Into a medium-sized bowl, sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Set that aside for just a moment.
- Into a large bowl, put the two sticks of vegan butter. Using a handheld mixer, whip the butter until it’s creamy.
- Add in about 1/3 of the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture. Also add in the vanilla extract and about 1/4 cup of the almond milk. Turn the beaters on to the lowest speed and slowly incorporate those ingredients. Some of the powdered sugar will probably *poof* as you mix. That’s ok!
- Add in another 1/3 of the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture and 1-2 Tablespoons more almond milk. Beat again. Continue this until you’ve used all the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture. Add more milk as needed, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until you reach a creamy frosting consistency!
- Now, your cupcakes are probably cool, which means PERFECT TIMING! We can frost!
- Use a spatula to scoop the frosting into a plastic bag or pastry bag fitted with the frosting tip you want to use to frost. I usually use an open star tip, like this one. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. If you dont feel like piping, no problemo! Slather that frosting on with a knife.
and VOILA!!
As an optional last step, you can add toppings to your cupcakes if you’d like. Think sprinkles, crushed Oreos, chocolate chips…the options are endless!
These beautiful cupcakes are ready to be devoured!!
Make them now, while you’re hunkered down at home. Share with your family. And, the next time you need a dessert for a birthday, potluck, picnic, going-away party, wine night, holiday, or just because, this recipe will be here for you. š
Tag @fetchinggoodies on Instagram when you make ’em! I’d love to see & share! Happy Baking, Friends!!