Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
This mini Chocolate Cupcakes recipe delivers an extremely soft cupcake with a rich chocolate flavor, topped with a swirl of fluffy chocolate buttercream. It’s perfect for all chocolate lovers out there and it’s an easy recipe to make!
This is a great recipe for birthday parties, baby showers, or any Holiday celebration, for adults and children alike! you can even change the chocolate frosting for a Vanilla buttercream (like the one I used in these Funfetti Cupcakes) or even a goat cheese frosting for a different twist.
Ingredients you’ll need for these mini cupcakes
Pretty simple ingredients are needed, found in any big grocery store
- All-purpose flour. It will hold all of the ingredients together
- Baking Soda. Gives softness and airiness to the cupcakes
- Baking powder. Helps give a light and fluffy texture
- Salt. Enhances the flavors
- Dark cocoa powder. I used Dutch processed cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor
- Butter. Unsalted and at room temperature so it mixes more evenly with the rest of the ingredients
- Granulated sugar. Sweetens your cupcakes
- Egg. At room temperature to help achieve a better volume in your cupcakes and to allow better mixing with the rest of the ingredients
- Milk. Full fat and at room temperature
- Vanilla extract. Good quality, pure vanilla extract for better results
- Instant coffee and warm water. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, for a deep chocolate flavor
- Icing sugar. Sifted, to avoid any lumps in your chocolate frosting
- 60% Melted chocolate. Helps with the frosting’s chocolate flavor and creamy consistency
- Heavy cream. Gives moisture to the chocolate buttercream without making it too runny
How much do you fill mini cupcake liners?
Fill the paper liners 2/3 full to allow room for the cupcakes to rise. I used a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to fill them.
If you fill them more than that, the cupcakes will not bake properly and they will overflow
How to make this Mini chocolate Cupcakes recipe
Preheat your oven to 400 F and prepare 2 mini cupcake pans with mini cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and natural unsweetened cocoa powder). Over a large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute on medium-high speed. The mixture should resemble light wet sand. Add the egg and mix.
Start adding the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk, and beat on medium speed until fully combined. Beat for 1 more minute. Add vanilla extract and coffee and mix until just combined. The mixture will be very thin.
Fill mini liners 2/3 full and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool a bit in the mini cupcake pan -around 5 minutes-, then remove them from the pan really carefully (they will be very soft!) and place them over a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed until just incorporated, then beat in medium speed. The mixture will look dry and crumbly.
Add heavy whipping cream and beat for an additional 1.5 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat for an additional 1.5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add more cream (gradually) if you want a softer consistency on your frosting.
Fill a piping bag with the chocolate frosting, then pipe it on top of your cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles or chocolate chips.
Tips for baking the perfect Cupcakes
- To avoid cupcakes from sinking in the middle, start baking at 400 F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 F for the rest of your baking time
- Do not open your oven door until they’re almost ready, changes in temperature too early could mess with your cupcakes
- Use room temperature ingredients
- Avoid storing your cupcakes when they are still warm
- Always, always follow your recipe
- To bake similar-sized and homogeneous cupcakes always fill your cupcakes with the same amount of batter
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to fill them with the same amount every time
- Always frost your cupcakes when completely cooled
How far in advance can you make mini cupcakes?
You can make your mini cupcakes 2 days in advance, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature and away from any heat sources.
You can also refrigerate these moist chocolate cupcakes, but know that the fridge will dry out your cupcakes.
I find that freezing my cupcakes is a better way to retain all their moisture; you can even freeze the already-frosted cupcakes! you want to freeze them in a single layer and avoid placing one cupcake in front of the other. Cupcakes should be very well covered, or they could absorb any bad odors or even get freezer burn.
If you feel your airtight container doesn’t close tight enough, place a layer of plastic wrap between the container and the lid, and secure the lid on top tightly. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Some sprinkles freeze well, and some others don’t, so if you aren’t familiar with how well the sprinkles you’re using freeze, better add them when the cupcakes are thawed.
To thaw your cupcakes, take them out of the freezer, remove the plastic wrap (in case you used any), and place the lid back on top without closing it completely, leaving a gap to let all of the moisture out.
Here’s a step-by-step guide with how-to images on how to freeze your frosted and unfrosted cupcakes.
Can I frost cupcakes the night before?
Absolutely! Frost the cupcakes the night before and store them at room temperature in an airtight container that’s high enough to fit the cupcake and the frosting without squishing it. Keep them away from the sun or any other heat source for best results.
How long do mini cupcakes last?
These keep for 2-3 days after you make them, as long as they’re stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and away from any heat source.
If you’re looking to keep these for a longer period of time, take a look under “How far in advance can you make mini cupcakes” in the title above.
Here’s a video of these Mini chocolate cupcakes recipe so you can see up-close texture and consistency.
Follow this link if you’re looking for more Cupcakes, Muffins and Donut recipes, or click the links below for some similar recipes:
Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche filling
Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry filling
If you make this Mini chocolate cupcakes recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment!
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 Cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 Cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 Cup full fat milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee diluted in 1/4 Cup warm water or 1/4 Cup strongly brewed coffee
Chocolate frosting
- 1 Cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 1/2 Cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2/3 Cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2/3 Cup 60% chocolate measured then melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
Instructions
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and prepare 2 mini cupcake pans with mini cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and natural unsweetened cocoa powder). Over a large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute on medium-high speed. Mixture should resemble light wet sand. Add the egg and mix.
- Start adding the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk, and beat on medium speed until fully combined. Beat for 1 more minute. Add vanilla extract and coffee and mix until just combined. Mixture will be very thin.
- Fill mini liners 2/3 full and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool a bit in the mini cupcake pan -around 5 minutes-, then remove them from the pan really carefully (they will be very soft!) and place them over a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate frosting
- To make the frosting, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, melted chocolate, vanilla extract and salt. Beat on low speed until just incorporated, then beat in medium speed. Mixture will look dry and crumbly.
- Add heavy whipping cream and beat for additional 1.5 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat for an additional 1.5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add more cream (gradually) if you want a softer consistency on your frosting.
- Fill a piping bag with the chocolate frosting, then pipe it on top of your cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles
Please can you write the measurements in grams I want to make it for my son
Hi there! here’s a great article where you can find many conversions to grams. Hope it helps!
https://www.allrecipes.com/article/cup-to-gram-conversions/