Perfect Cocoa Cupcakes Recipes

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.

FILLED CUPCAKES WITH COCOA FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt for cupcakes together into a medium bowl. Combine mayonnaise, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly amongst the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While the cupcakes are baking, stir together flour and salt for the filling in a small saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and pudding-like, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Cream shortening and confectioners' sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in chilled pudding mixture and vanilla extract, beating until light and fluffy. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip.
• Push the pastry tip into the top of a cupcake about 1 inch deep. Squeeze filling to fill cupcake, stopping before it starts to leak outside of the hole. Repeat to fill remaining cupcakes.
• Combine butter, milk, and cocoa powder for the frosting in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Immediately add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract; beat well. Frost cupcakes with warm frosting.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together the buttermilk, coffee, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.
• Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the bowl then add the remaining wet ingredients and beat to combine. Scrape down the bowl and paddle. Increase the speed to medium and beat for a full minute.
• Fill the prepared cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 15 to 18 minutes.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepan. Remove from the simmering water and let it cool until room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, drizzle in the melted chocolate and beat until completely blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Decoratively pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

HOT COCOA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking cocoa, hot cocoa mix, baking powder and baking soda; beat into creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition., Fill prepared cups two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; cool completely., For frosting, beat butter until creamy. Beat in marshmallow cream and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar alternately with milk. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Add toppings as desired.