These cupcakes are super easy and delicious with or without decorating. Just combine the dry ingredients, then combine the wet ingredients, once done, simply add the dry to the wet, and like magic, they're almost ready for the oven. We suggest mixing up several ziplock bags of dry ingredients in advance and the process will be even faster.
Room temperature ingredients incorporate much better. If your batter curdles it's because the ingredients were different temperatures and due to that they were not able to mix together smoothly.
Quick Tips:
It is important to scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then sweep a knife over the top to level it off. Packing the flour will create a denser, drier cupcake.
For Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, just add ½ cup of chocolate chips and mix gently just before scooping the batter into the cupcake liners.
Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Just place them in an airtight container and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw to room temperature before frosting.
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Chocolate Cupcakes
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
½ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup coffee cooled
Frosting & Topping:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (or less) of instant vanilla pudding powder. Any brand of instant pudding will work
Commercially prepared caramel sauce
Sprinkles as desired
Cupcake Method:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a cupcake pan with 15 cupcake liners, this will require either 2 cupcake pans or a cupcake pan that accommodates more than a dozen cupcakes. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine wet ingredients in a large-size bowl and whisk well to combine.
Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk until all ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another 10-15 seconds, until batter is smooth. Please note, the batter will be thin.
Fill all cupcake liners only half full.
Carefully place filled cupcake pan in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325˚F. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
Topping Method:
Add the pudding powder to the heavy cream and stir until the powder is well incorporated. Whisk or beat cream with electric mixer until cream is fluffy and holds its shape for decorating. Take care not to over whip the cream or it will lose its smooth texture and appearance.
Drizzle lightly with caramel sauce. If needed, thin sauce with corn syrup or room temperature cream or milk. Add any liquids sparingly and only as needed. Whisk well until sauce is smooth.
Please Note: This recipe doubles and triples well.
