Serves
12
cupcakes

Intro

A really good chocolate cupcake is a proper staple, and this is my reliable one — deeply chocolatey, moist from a little oil and a splash of hot coffee that sharpens the cocoa without tasting of coffee at all. The rainbow-and-cloud toppers make it a brilliant one to bake with children (it’s a lovely Community-pillar bake), but the cupcake underneath stands on its own with any finish you like.

At a glance

  • Makes: 12 cupcakes(base for the scaler)
  • Prep: 20 min ·Bake: 20 min ·Decorate: 15 min
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Pillar: The Bake → Quick Bakes / The Community
  • Themes (dietary): contains gluten, dairy, egg

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 175g plain flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 200g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 120ml flavourless oil
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 120ml whole milk
  • 120ml hot coffee or boiling water makes the batter loose — that’s correct

Frosting & finish

  • Cream cheese or vanilla buttercream (see the cupcake/cake recipes)
  • Rainbow-and-cloud toppers(sugar decorations)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / gas 3 / 325°F. Line a 12-hole tin.
  2. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Add the oil, eggs and milk; whisk smooth.
  3. Whisk in the hot coffee last — the batter will be thin.
  4. Divide between the cases (about two-thirds full) and bake 18–22 minutes until springy. Cool fully.
  5. Pipe your frosting and add the toppers.

Allergens & swaps

  • Contains: wheat/gluten, milk, egg.
  • Dairy-free: swap milk for a plant milk and use a dairy-free frosting — the sponge is already oil-based.

Baker’s notes

The hot liquid at the end blooms the cocoa for a deeper flavour and a moist crumb; don’t skip it, and don’t worry that the batter looks thin.