Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

This Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe is absolutely scrumptious and a family favorite. Rich and simple, they bake up in no time!

Moist, delicious Blender Cupcakes with Fudgy Frosting utilize an unusual mixing technique with fabulous results! 

Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Nothing thrills my family more than seeing empty cupcake tins sitting on the counter…the anticipation of fluffy frosting piled high on tender cakes, especially chocolate ones, brings smiles to my grown children’s faces (Nick has reminded me that he’s NOT a child anymore…thus my careful wording). Cupcakes trump brownies and even chocolate chip cookies. Why? Probably because I only make them a few times a year. The gang would be ecstatic with a fresh batch of cupcakes every single week. 

When I first spotted these chocolate cupcakes, I was intrigued by the recipe for Abby Dodge’s Emergency Blender Cupcakes. They could not be simpler! The dry ingredients were blended to mix, then the egg, oil, vanilla, and hot water were added. And then there was the fudgy frosting. You could smear it on with a knife, but I used a piping bag. Not my strength, but they were pretty! Whew.  These Blender Cupcakes with Fudgy Frosting were winners.

Blender Chocolate Cupcakes 

I shared these with a group of friends (Nick was appalled that part of his stash of chocolate cupcakes was leaving the house!). Half of Kathy’s olive oil grape cake had already been devoured by the time I made my tardy arrival, but this did not dissuade the, my girlfriends, from diving in with gusto. And they were even more impressed with these moist, glossy topped beauties when I explained how they were whipped up in the blender. How easy is that? One vessel to clean and a built-in pouring spout to eliminate my typical spillage when filling the tins. Win. Win. Win.

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes

With cupcakes, there are a couple of golden rules to help make the final results the best they can be. I’ll note the ones that are specific to this recipe, too!

• For this recipe, one huge perk is that you can pour the batter using the blender’s spout! Super easy. But make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender. This will ensure there are no pockets of dry ingredients a couple of times during the blending process.
• Also, note that the frosting needs to rest at room temperature or even chilled to get it to piping consistency.  Feel free to use a knife and spread the cooled chocolate frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes instead of piping!

10 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

1. Use quality ingredients. Use brand name butter, pure vanilla extract (never imitation), good cocoa powder, large eggs. Store brand butter, for example, generally has a slightly higher percentage of water. European butter is excellent, but a good brand like Land ‘o Lakes works well.
2. Baking is a science so measure carefully. Scoop out a cup of flour, then use a knife or offset spatula to swipe the excess off the top. Use a liquid measuring cup to measure liquids. It’s much more accurate.
3. Have your eggs at room temperature along with the butter unless it needs to be cold or melted. PRO-Tip: To speed up getting the chill off, you can place your eggs in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for about 5 minutes.
4. Do not overmix as this will activate the gluten and incorporate too much air into the batter. In this blender recipe, note that the directions state to mix until “well blended,” not any longer!
5. PRO-Tip: Fill your tins about 2/3 full. This allows for consistent sizes which lets them bake evenly. You can also use an ice cream scoop to dish out equal amounts of batter.
6. Preheat your oven and use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running too hot or cold.
7. PRO-Tip: Bake one tin at a time on the middle rack. This ensures air can circulate all around the tin and that the top or bottom is not too close to an element.
8. To check if your cupcakes are done, there are two methods. One is with a toothpick. Insert in the center of a few of the cupcakes. When you pull the toothpick out, there should not be any batter on it. A few moist crumbs are OK, though. Alternatively, use the tip of your finger to tap the middle of the cupcake. It should bounce right back if the cupcakes are done. An indentation will remain if you need to bake them longer.
9. Let your tin cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tin and let cool completely before frosting or storing. This prevents any residual heat from overbaking and drying out the cupcakes.
10. Frost when cool, covering the whole top to seal in the cupcake’s moisture. Store in an airtight container.

More of the Best Chocolate Recipes:

• Creamy Chocolate Pudding from Saving Room for Dessert
• Easy Homemade Brownies
• Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Crinkles
• Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache
• More Homemade Chocolate Recipes

This recipe was first shared in August 2013. Photos and text were updated in 2020.

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The Recipe: Blender Cupcakes with Fudgy Frosting

Cupcakes whipped up in a blender.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Yield 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For the frosting:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate,chopped
• 8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 capacity muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a blender. Cover with the lid and blend on medium till blended.
3. Pour in the water, oil, egg, and vanilla. Cover with the lid and blend on medium-high speed till smooth and well blended, pausing to scrape down the sides once or twice.
4. Pour into lined muffin cups, dividing evenly.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean, 17–19 minutes.
6. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, and then remove cupcakes from pan to rack to cool completely before frosting.
7. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring occasionally till smooth. Add condensed milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
8. Set aside at room temperature, whisking frequently. Let cool and thicken before frosting cupcakes.

Notes

Adapted from Fine Cooking.

Recommended Products

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  Silicone Spatulas
• 
  KitchenAid Blender
• 
  Cupcake Tin

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cupcake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 0gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g

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