Everyone loves cupcakes, but cakes are generally what we amateurs end up making when we try our hands on baking at home. I have tried making them a few times and today I am sharing the best recipe out of all that I have tried.

These chocolate cupcakes turned out to be super moist but not fudgy, and I was surprised at the chocolaty taste it had with just the use of regular cocoa power. I made 12 cupcakes out of this amount, and I am sure you can make 24 easily, as the recipe claimed. The rest of the batter I poured into a bunt cake pan and the cake turned out amazing. Try it in any way and it will be a hit.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup hot coffee or boiling water

• Fresh cream for frosting

• Sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177C), and line two standard cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. Add salt and sugar but you don’t have to sift these as they are in granules and won’t shift. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk or use an electric beater to combine. Add boiling water or hot coffee, I used boiling water and mix until combined and smooth. The batter will be runny.

Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 way full. It is better to use a spoon or an ice-cream scoop so that the batter does not spill on the tray or the liners get overfilled.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Mine were done in 20 minutes.

Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

There are many different kinds of frostings that you can use here. I used whipping cream that is especially for frosting. I chilled it before beating it with an electric beater. I added just four tablespoons of icing sugar as I didn’t want it very sweet, the cream already has a sweet taste and beat it till it was fluffy. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Enjoy!

For buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes, then measure out 3/4 cup for the recipe.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 15th, 2020