• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Events
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Events
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

    Published: Nov 5, 2011 · Modified: Nov 30, 2019 by Ashley

    This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    I saw this post over at Simply Recipes, and thought it looked like a really great, easy dessert to make. Plus, I had all of the ingredients on hand! I mean...how could I not make these? They turned out really well! They definitely need the frosting, in my opinion (what? a few pieces "fell off" while they were cooling, so we had to QC them...). These get bonus points for how easy they are, and the fact that they use ingredients that we typically have on hand. No eggs? No problem! Just be prepared to get the side-eye from anyone who you tell that these involve vinegar and olive oil. Oh, and P.S. - how adorable are these cupcake liners that I found on sale at the grocery store? Gotta love the fact that not everyone is OK with using Halloween-like decorations all year round 🙂

    A close-up of chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

    Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
    Simply Recipes

    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 20 minutes

    The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't have or don't want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee (or slightly weak coffee) in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes.

    Cupcakes:
    1 ½ cups all purpose flour
    ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    ½ teaspoon salt
    1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 ½ teaspoons
    of espresso powder or instant coffee granules)
    1 tablespoon white vinegar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    6 tablespoon (¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil

    Frosting:
    4 tablespoon butter
    ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 ½ cup powdered sugar
    3 tablespoons milk
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Cupcakes:
    1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

    2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up).

    3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

    4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.

    5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20
    minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

    6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting.

    Frosting:
    While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.

    To pipe in a decorative pattern, scoop the frosting into the corner of a ziplock freezer bag. Use scissors to cut away ¼-inch or so from the tip of the corner. Then just squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cupcakes in any design you like.

    Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes.

    Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

    More Dessert Recipes

    • Two slices of rhubarb custard pie on plates with forks.
      Rhubarb Custard Pie
    • Cooling rack of decorated cut out sugar cookies.
      Grandma's Classic Cut Out Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
    • Overhead view of 2 peanut butter banana milkshakes with bacon and cherries.
      Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake with Bacon (without Ice Cream!)
    • Cookie jar and platter of peppermint hot chocolate cookies with glasses of milk alongside.
      Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. SARA

      November 07, 2011 at 2:27 pm

      GOOD MORNING, i thiny your blog is very nice.

      Reply
    2. Ashley

      November 08, 2011 at 6:47 pm

      Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoy 🙂

      Reply

    Leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

    More about me →

    Fall Favorites

    • Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin
    • Classic Dutch Apple Pie
    • Gingerbread Pancakes
    • Grandpa's Beef Stew
    • Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
    • Instant Pot Tomato Beef Pasta
    • Spiced Mulled Wine
    • Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

    Easy Side Dishes:

    • Cucumber Cannellini Bean Salad with Dill
    • Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
    • Maple-Balsamic Roasted Carnival Squash
    • Sheet Pan Green Beans
    • Slow Cooker "Roasted" Beets

    Popular Now

    • Two plates of gingerbread pancakes topped with peppermint whipped cream, crushed peppermint candies, and maple syrup.
      Gingerbread Pancakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream
    • Overhead view of a tray of golden brown homemade garlic bread.
      Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
    • Collage of images with text that reads, "17 Most Repeated Recipes to Celebrate 17 Years of Big Flavors".
      17 Most Repeated Recipes to Celebrate 17 Years of Big Flavors
    • Collage of images with text that reads 5 of the BEST Restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland Part One.
      Explore Big Flavors in Ocean City, Maryland

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Cooking Classes
    • Events
    • About Ashley
    • Press + Recognition
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up to receive delicious recipes and exclusive content right to your inbox!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you.

    ©2006–2023 BIG FLAVORS FROM A TINY KITCHEN LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    *Third-party advertisers may collect or use non-personally identifiable information to serve you more relevant ads.