This is the perfect recipe for a small batch of 6 soft and fluffy chocolate cupcakes. The cupcakes are quick and easy (made in one bowl) and topped with vanilla buttercream frosting.
We love small batch recipes! These cupcakes join our Small Batch Brownies and Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies. Prefer a vanilla cupcake? Try our Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes.
These cupcakes are
Quick and easy: The batter comes together in one bowl, in minutes!
Soft and fluffy: These cupcakes have a beautiful dome and a fluffy texture.
Flavorful: The chocolate flavor is enhanced with a bit of coffee (more on this below) and rounded out with smooth vanilla frosting.
Perfect for small celebrations: Celebrating with just a few people? This recipe is a great option that won’t leave you with a bunch of leftovers.
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Make the cupcakes:
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Add egg, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Add hot coffee.
Divide the batter between six lined muffin cups.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cupcakes have puffed up and a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
Make the vanilla buttercream frosting:
Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Assemble:
Pipe or spread the frosting onto each cupcake. Topped with sprinkles or chocolate shavings.
Special ingredient: hot coffee
Maybe you’ve seen espresso powder or instant coffee added to cookies or brownies to enhance the flavor? We’re using the same technique here. Adding coffee (instead of water) helps intensify the chocolate flavor in these cupcakes. And using hot coffee helps to draw out even more rich flavor from the cocoa powder.
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Recipe
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot coffee, see note
Vanilla frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk, half and half, or cream, plus more, if needed
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 6 muffin cups or place 6 liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add hot coffee and beat until just combined. Batter will be thin.
- Divide evenly between 6 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Beat butter and powdered sugar for several minutes, until smooth. Add vanilla extract and milk, and beat for several more minutes, until light and fluffy. If the frosting seems a little too thick, beat in a splash of milk. If it seems too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a decorating tip or a butter knife. Garnish with sprinkles or chocolate shavings, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Nikki
I’m so glad I found this fast,easy, and DELICIOUS small batch recipe. lately I’ve been looking into small batch recipes to try different things with ingredients, and without changing anything this recipe is THE BOMB!! I did sub the milk for heavy cream…and wow!!! The tops of the cupcakes had a slight crispy texture…wonderful. Thanks for this recipe. ???
Celebrating Sweets
Glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Hyacinth
Hello:) is it possible to make this chocolate cupcakes using just a manual microwave? It has 6 options low, defrost, medium low, medium, medium high and high for the timer 30mins was the longest time. Thank you and have a good one.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Hyacinth. I have never tried baking cupcakes in the microwave, so I can’t say. I do have a microwave brownie recipe you can try. Here it is: Best of luck!
amber
i am 12 and i just made these but lets wait for the result
LaTrice
My sister and I had a taste for chocolate cupcakes, but wanted to keep the portions small. I found your blog using the Google search engine. I was surprised to know that we had all of the ingredients to make the cupcakes. We didn’t have hot coffee available, but used hot water instead, which made the chocolate cupcakes taste like you’re eating a cloud. We baked the cupcakes for twenty minutes because after baking them for fifteen minutes, the cupcakes were gooey in the center. The vanilla buttercream frosting was on point. I’m looking forward to enjoying the chocolate cupcakes for a few days, even though they don’t stand a chance at our house. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, Allison!! 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Hansini
This recipe is simply amazing. I made them and they came out lovely. All of my family loved those moist, tasty cupcakes. Thank you soo much for the lovely recipe.❤️❤️❤️
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad that you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Shagun
It’s literally the best recipe, simplest, and the quickest, I made cupcakes for the first tike, and it was a success thanks to you♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Celebrating Sweets
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping by!
Aaliya
Can i use dark choclate instead of cocoa poweder?
Celebrating Sweets
Not for this recipe. Sorry.
Ann Thomson
Found this recipe easy to follow
And even the icing looked good xx
Celebrating Sweets
Great! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Tina
These are super great! They turned out beautifully and delicious, and it’s so nice to have a smaller portion. Can’t wait to try others from your blog!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for the kind review. Glad you enjoyed them!
Kira Urie
I have a go to recipe for chocolate cupcakes, but only needed a small batch. This recipe is delicious! I love that you have the coffee in the recipe, I have always done that, and this cake came out moist with a great chocolate flavor. I added a dusting of cinnamon to the frosting, gave it just a bit of a bite, cut the sweetness and complimented the chocolate well. Definitely keeping this recipe!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for the kind review. I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Ella
Can you make them without the hot coffee?
Celebrating Sweets
Yes! Just sub for an equal amount of hot water.
Tiffany
Can you double up this recipe?