Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream for Two

Well, I was lazy. More often than not, I’ve found it to be a hassle to drag out the mixer, cream the sugar and butter, sift the dry ingredients and all that fun stuff for a measly two cupcakes. What can I say? I’m lazy. Until then, I found a lot of ‘Cupcakes for Two’ recipes floating around the web (Valentines season it was) and so I decided to make these Chocolate Cupcakes for Two! This was the third times I actually made and devour these guys all by myself but since they were sold too fast, I couldn’t take their photos and share the recipe here.

I came across 52 Kitchen Adventures blog few months ago where she shared her One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes for Two and I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could! And this Chocolate Buttercream for Two recipe I share here itself is completely from my own recipe development, and I was so excited with the result! Make these and share it with your sweetie. Aww ♥

What do you need to do?

1. Place all dry ingredients in medium bowl (I used a large measuring cup) and whisk until combined.

2. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and whisk until just combined.

3. Divide batter into 2 lined cupcake wells and bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes.

Umm…no egg? Yepp, no egg! Super easy, right?

I think I was having a blond moment that time,I forgot to take the ‘before’ picture to show you. So if your cupcakes happened to come out with high and cracked tops like a "volcano" which are so not pretty, don’t worry. Here’s the tip: Take a spoon (I prefer the one with a round face) and gently press the top using the back of the spoon — Do this at the minutes they are out from the oven.

See, better right? It won’t recover completely but it will take the frosting nicely later on. You could cover the slightly cracked-but-nice-domed top with pretty swirls of yummy chocolate buttercream goodness anyway!

Nevertheless, I have to admit that I always prefer “eggy” cake rather than the eggless one. I’ve tried once before and I really didn’t love the texture at all. The first time I made these cupcakes and took a bite, I was a bit sad that I thought it will change my negative perception towards eggless cakes. But I was wrong. It turned out a bit blunt until I waited for the next day — Just keep in mind that, as for most chocolate cakes, these will turn out better on the next day :)

Although I’m a sweet-toothed gal, I’m recently a bit off with sugary frosting and tend to choose my go-to super-fluffy but not too-sweet cooked frosting (I forgot to share the recipe here, Opps!) for most of my baked goods. But since I know that anything chocolate will make everything just better, I couldn’t resist giving it a go sometimes :) The chocolate buttercream itself is sooo easy to make and rich with chocolate (I did ate a few tablespoons of them before I frost my cupcakes. Mmmm).

Oh my CUPPIES, I wish that I need to forget I ever learned this, or I might be eating cupcakes on a daily basis…

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream for Two

Cake recipe adapted from 52 Kitchen Adventures, Buttercream recipe from Sweety Toothy original.

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) *see notes below

1/8 teaspoon + 1/16 teaspoon baking soda

1/16 teaspoon salt

1/16 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional, but recommended)

3 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the buttercream:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2-1 teaspoon milk

Method

for the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with 2 paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee together.

3. Add milk, oil, and vanilla and whisk until just combined.

4. Evenly divide the batter into the 2 lined cupcake wells (mine were almost 3/4 full).

5. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

for the buttercream:

1. Beat butter for few minutes until smooth.

2. Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar and mix until combined.

3. Add vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of milk, then mix until incorporated. Add additional milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Notes:

•  * If you don’t have unsweetened natural cocoa, and only Dutch process (cocoa that’s been treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa powder), you can make an adjustment and use it, but don’t straight out substitute it. You can add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar, or 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar, for every 3 tablespoons (18 grams) of Dutch process in the recipe to balance it out (thanks Joy of Baking for that tip!)
• 1/16 teaspoon is about the same as a pinch.
• Instead of using a bowl, I mixed all the ingredients in a large measuring cup with a pouring spout. This way, it is much easier to fill the cupcake liners (with a help of a spoon) without making a mess.
• If you don't want a lot of frosting, try reducing the recipe in half (the frosting is enough for about four cupcakes). Pipe them high or snack on the leftover!
• Stay tune for more variety of ‘Cupcakes for Two’ recipes!

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